


A Thousand Years Cursed

by juliarose5462



Category: Captain America (Movies), The Avengers (Marvel Movies), The Originals (TV)
Genre: AU (sort of), F/M, Slight-Crossover, some curse words
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-11-08
Updated: 2015-11-08
Packaged: 2018-04-30 17:04:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 19
Words: 53,786
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5172260
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/juliarose5462/pseuds/juliarose5462
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Teles Athans has been alive since 739 B.C. It's been a long life. When the Battle of New York exposes her and her powers to SHIELD, she's forced to stay in the confines of the Tower with the Avengers. But when Loki comes back for revenge, what will happen to her and those she loves?<br/>(A slight crossover between The Originals and the Avengers)<br/>THIS HAS BEEN DISCONTINUED UNTIL I GET MY LIFE TOGETHER</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

Chapter One:

 

The six month year old cried out for her mother in the middle of the night and the noise rang out in the silent, small apartment. Tay Athans, mother at 27, bolted upright and ran at an inhuman speed to her daughter’s side. She picked up her daughter and comforted her as she placed her against her shoulder after she adjusted her shirt. Tay whispered soft, murmured words into her beautiful daughter’s ear and reminded herself she couldn’t compel her daughter to quiet down. She wanted to raise her daughter as a normal human, not as an unawakened siren. 

 

“Hey, Mickey. Are you hungry?” Tay walked into her small kitchen and started preparing a bottle for her daughter that was perched on her shoulder. She started singing to her daughter because she knew that Mickey also probably wanted music. Tay grabbed her phone that sat on the kitchen table and started to play some classical music. “Mommy’s going to get you some food soon. Shh, shh.”

 

Her daughter’s cries had quieted down as Tay knew they would with music and food. The bottle was finally done and Tay tested it before she cradled her daughter in her arms and fed her. She sat down at the table and rocked her daughter as she held the bottle up for her. Mickey, a nickname for Mikayla, stared back up at her tired single mother as she slowly sucked down the bottle. Tay smiled down and admired her baby’s big blue eyes and her tuft of brown hair. Mickey stopped drinking and Tay pulled the bottle away from her while she adjusted Mickey over her shoulder to burp her. Tay dropped a cloth over her shoulder and started to pat Mickey’s shoulder while she juggled the bottle and the baby.

 

“Come on bugaboo. Give me a big burp so Mommy can get some more sleep.” Tay said to her daughter while she walked around the small apartment. There wasn’t much- a living room with an adjoined kitchen and a dining room on the other side. There was an office and a bedroom at the other end of the apartment. Tay had converted the office into a nursery for Mickey and her bedroom had a small desk in it for one of two jobs Tay had.

 

Mickey burped and spit up on the towel. Tay moved her baby off her shoulder and walked to the back to the crib she had put next to her bed. She placed Mickey down on the bundle of blankets and tucked her in with her blanket that was embroidered with “Mikayla” on it. She brushed away a couple of long hairs in her face and left her daughter in the crib. Tay kept an ear out for Mickey's slowed breaths and heartbeats while she walked into the kitchen.

 

Tay opened the refrigerator and took out a blood bag hidden underneath the lettuce and carrots. She poured about half of it into a glass then went back to her daughter in her room. Tay sat down on her bed and smiled down at her sleeping daughter and adjusted the blanket while she took a sip from the glass. Her previously itching throat had instantly ceased to irritate her and she sighed in relief. She drank the rest of it and dashed into the kitchen to wash out the glass then put the blood bag back into the refrigerator drawer. She stretched a bit before she walked back to her room and closed the door behind her. Tay kissed Mickey’s head before she climbed into her own bed and fell asleep.

 

~~

 

Mickey hasn’t woken up yet so Tay walked into the kitchen and poured herself a glass of blood to get some more color into her skin. She sighed as the blood incorporated itself into her system and a wave of dopamine washed over her brain. She smiled and kept her hearing extended to listen for her daughter. She washed the glass of blood out and her phone pinged again. She took it out of her waistband, opened the screen up to see that she was doing. Tay sighed in relief when she saw that it was a shoot for Vogue. It was Michael Kors new collection and she’d be wearing a black ombre dress.

 

She heard Mickey start to wake up and she walked back to her room in the corner of her apartment. She walked over to her and smiled down at her daughter. “Hey, baby. Are you hungry?”

 

Tay walked into her small kitchen and started preparing a bottle for her daughter that was perched on her shoulder. She started singing to her daughter because she knew that Mickey also probably wanted music. Tay grabbed her phone that sat on the kitchen table and started to play some classical music. “Mommy’s going to get you some food soon. Shh, shh.”

 

Her daughter’s cries had quieted down as Tay knew they would with music and food. The bottle was finally done and Tay tested it before she cradled her daughter in her arms and fed her. She sat down at the table and rocked her daughter as she held the bottle up for her. Mickey, a nickname for Mikayla, stared back up at her tired single mother as she slowly sucked down the bottle. Tay smiled down and admired her baby’s big blue eyes and her tuft of brown hair. Mickey stopped drinking and Tay pulled the bottle away from her while she adjusted Mickey over her shoulder to burp her. Tay dropped a cloth over her shoulder and started to pat Mickey’s shoulder while she juggled the bottle and the baby.

 

“Come on bugaboo. Give me a big burp so Mommy can go to work.” Tay said to her daughter while she walked around the small apartment. There wasn’t much- a living room with an adjoined kitchen and a dining room on the other side. There was an office and a bedroom at the other end of the apartment. Tay had converted the office into a nursery for Mickey and her bedroom had a small desk in it for one of three jobs Tay had.

 

Mickey burped and spit up on the towel. Tay moved her baby off her shoulder; she brushed away a couple of long hairs in her face. She heard Kate, her babysitter/nanny walk up the front stairs. Kate knocked on the door and Tay walked over to open it up and let her into the apartment. “Hey, Kate. Come on in.”

 

“Hi Tay. How are you?” Kate was one of Tay’s sires- someone Tay had turned into a vampire with her blood. Fifty years to the present, Kate had been by her side as a friend and a confidante.

 

“I’m great. I have a photoshoot later today and then I guess I’ll go pick up a shift at the cafe.” Tay handed Mickey over to Kate who greeted the baby like she was her own.

 

“That sounds like fun. Who’s the shoot with?”

 

“Vogue this time.”

 

“God, that sounds so exciting.” Kate’s eyes widened in amazement at her friend’s opportunity. “You don’t think that will be too conspicuous?”

 

“Uh, probably not?” She said it in a really unsure tone but she shrugged and smiled. “Well, even if it is, it’s alright. Okay, I’ll probably be back around six or sometime around then. I will text you if it changes. Oh can you drop this off at the Brooklyn warehouse, number 653? I can’t stand having to look at it anymore.”

 

“Yea, sure. Do you mind if Leo and I take her around Brooklyn then?” Kate tucked the military uniform under her arm and raised an eyebrow as she asked the question.

 

“Be my guest. Just make sure she has everything.” Tay pointed to Mickey’s diaper bag on the chair by the door. “I am just going to get dressed and then I’ll be out of your way.”

 

Kate nodded her head and bounced Mickey on her hip and offered her a toy with which to play. Tay walked back to her room and opened up her closet. She bit her lower lip as she contemplated the decisions and a white crop top caught her eye. She tossed it onto her bed and went to her dresser to grab a pair of jeans but then went back to her closet, picked out a bohemian print skirt and tossed that on to the bed as well. She stripped down and threw her dirty pajamas into her hamper then grabbed the clothes off the bed and slid them on. Tay grabbed a pair of sandals from her shoe rack and she secured the straps. 

 

She grabbed her beige purse and organized her makeup, phone, phone charger, earbuds, wallet, keys, and hand sanitizer into the various pouches and pockets. Tay fluffed her long blonde hair and debated about whether to put on makeup. She shrugged and decided not to because she was sure that the makeup artists would have her wash it off anyway. She smiled at her reflection one last time before she walked out to the living room to find Mickey and Kate on the floor playing. “Hey, so call me if you need anything. Don’t forget to use that credit card-”

 

“Yea, I get it, Tay. You don’t have to worry about us.” Kate smiled reassuringly and all but pushed her out of the door. Tay protested for a moment before she kissed her daughter’s head and whispered goodbye. She stood up and waved goodbye to Kate before she locked and closed the door behind her as she left.

 

Tay went to the lobby then walked to her car and plopped her purse in the passenger seat. She started the car up, and smoothly and quickly pulled out of the driveway; she didn’t bother looking behind her to check for either cars or people because with her extremely sensitive ears she could pick up on the motor’s engine hum or the thump of the human heart. She typed the address into her GPS that was attached to her dashboard then listened to the computer’s voice that stated its directions. The car drive was nearly an hour and she was yawning with incredible boredom by the time she pulled into the improvised parking lot of the set.

 

She got out of her car and spotted Jack, her agent and friend, waiting for her with coffee and a cup of raspberries. Tay laughed at the sight and he heard the noise over the wind. He smiled and waved her over with an exaggerated wave of his arms; she grabbed her purse out of the seat and walked over to him and the food. “Do you know how to treat a lady or what? Sarah’s a lucky woman.”

 

“No, I’m a lucky man.” She smiled at his bashfulness then watched him take out his phone to answer a call. “Just a second, Tay. I think the director is over there talking to the guy with the ugly hat.”

 

She rolled his eyes and popped more raspberries into her mouth as she walked over to the director. She tapped his shoulder and swallowed the rest of the berry. Tay stuck a hand out with a brilliant smile on her face before she introduced herself. “Hi, I’m Tay Athans.”

 

“Ah, our model.” He nodded and shook her outstretched hand. “Claire will get you anything you need and Kelly will take you at wardrobe over there.”

 

He pointed and she followed his direction before she nodded and tossed the empty cup into the trashcan. She sipped some of the coffee but made a face. Too bitter. She didn’t throw it out yet and she asked the presumed Kelly, “Do you want this? I only took a sip but it’s too bitter for my taste.”

 

“I’ve been up since three this morning. I don’t think I need anymore coffee.” She politely declined before she opened the trailer door for Tay.

 

“Thanks. Okay, then I’m throwing this away.” Tay tossed it into the trash basket before she sat down in the chair. “So why have you been up since three?”

 

“I helped set this up as a favor to my friend and as a taste of this sort of business.”

 

“Oh, are you in school now?” Kelly brushed away Tay’s hair and swept it into a quick, loose bun for better access to her face.

 

“Yea, the director, Steven Kensington, is my boss for my internship and he liked my work for a previous project so he said I could help with this.” Tay nodded as Kelly grabbed a few products and held them against Tay’s face. “I’m so jealous of you. I can’t believe you have nonexistent pores.”

 

“Jealous of me? Please, you could be a model yourself if you wanted to be.” Kelly grinned widely at the compliment. “You seem surprised someone would say that.”

 

“No, just someone like you.” Tay raised an eyebrow as Kelly swept some primer over Tay’s skin. Kelly must have sensed her confusion and she elaborated, “I mean, just someone as beautiful and… magnetizing I guess is the best word as you. It’s like I can’t help but be awed by you.”

 

“Must be the confidence thing or something.” Tay didn’t bother to explain that Kelly was probably drawn to Tay because she was a siren-vampire who enticed people just with her eyes, her voice, or even her mind. “So what will the look be today?”

 

Kelly and Tay talked, laughed, and joked the rest of the time she was in the trailer before Claire popped her head in and asked if she could get anything for the two of them. “No, thanks. Wait, actually could you grab my agent Jack? He’s wearing a blazer with jeans with a white tee shirt underneath and a blue tie.”

 

“And let Walter know that Tay’s almost done with makeup.” Kelly added.

 

“Sure. Just a moment.” Claire nodded her head and briskly walked out to find the designated people. Tay glanced in the mirror and saw that her hair was pinned up in romantic waves. Her makeup was relatively natural except for the smokey eye that enhanced her gray eyes. She smiled at her reflection and took out her phone. She gestured to Kelly to come next to her and Tay pulled up the camera and took a selfie of the two of them. Tay looked at the photo and smiled at the image before she showed it to Kelly.

 

“Do you mind sending that to me?”

 

“Not at all.” Tay pulled up her contacts and added Kelly before she sent the picture to her. “Okay, I should go get my dress on and I’ll see you on set.”

 

Tay waved goodbye and nearly ran into Jack who was about to enter the trailer. “Hey, I was told to come here?”

 

“Yea, do you have any other shoots lined up for the week?”

 

“Nope. Do you want me to book any?” He raised an eyebrow and sipped his coffee before he pulled out his phone to make it happen in case Tay said yes. But she shook her head and he said, “Okay, then there’s one next week on Monday for a hair commercial then one on Tuesday and Friday for Revlon and Target.”

 

“Busy, busy, busy.” She said. “Thanks, Jack.”

 

“No problem. Oh and the director’s getting a bit antsy so I’d hurry up if I were you.” Tay nodded and headed into the trailer to find a man flipping through a magazine. He glanced up at her when he heard the door open and jumped up with a lot of energy.

 

“Miss Athans. Get your cute little ass in here.” She laughed and he pulled her in. “I’m Walter but you can call me Quinn.”

 

“Hi Quinn. Just call me Tay.” She smiled and looked around. “So where is this beautiful dress that I keep hearing about?”

 

Walt disappeared for a moment and returned with the dress bag in his hands. He unzipped it dramatically with a wide grin as he awaited her reaction. “Oh my god. It’s beautiful.”

 

She touched the fabric reverently and she sighed at the smooth silky feel of it. It was a white dress with various diamonds and jewels glittering on the surface with an exaggerated scalloping design on the skirt. “Okay let’s get you into this then we’ll go shoot.” 

 

Tay changed out of her clothes and it took an entire fifteen or so minutes to get her into the dress and to get it looking perfect. Walter took a moment to cinch in the waist and he brushed away a couple of hairs. “Voila, you look perfect.”

 

“I doubt it but that sounds great.” Tay admired the gown in the mirror and she smiled. “Gosh, it looks beautiful.”

 

“Come on, sexy.” Jack said as he poked his head into the trailer. “We got to start this thing.”

 

“Yes sir!” She mock-saluted him and picked up the gown with the help of Walt and Jack and awkwardly walked outside to do the photo shoot. The director was on his phone texting while he talked in the Bluetooth in his ear. He waved her over to go stand on the platform that was staged elaborately like a ballroom. She looked around and smiled at the props. “Where would you like me?”

 

“Kit!” The director called out and a man in a tuxedo popped up from behind Tay. She jumped a bit and turned around with a slight smile on her face. “I want you with her posing. You’re on your own otherwise.”

 

“I’m Tay.”

 

“I’ve heard of you.” He whispered in her ear as he wrapped his arms around her from behind. He paused and smiled for the cameras for a few moments before they changed positions. “Here, give me your left leg.”

 

She raised her leg and the fabric of her dress revealed her skinny, toned legs. He propped it up against the chair and he wrapped a hand low on her waist so she took her arm and wrapped her fingers in his hair. Tay tilted her chin up with the direction of the camera men and stared into Kit’s eyes. For a moment he crossed his eyes and despite herself, she smiled a bit but was reprimanded when the director yelled at her. “Sorry, sir.”

 

She turned back to Kit who gestured for her to change position. Tay went like for this for the next hour or so before the director called it a wrap and she sighed as she worked her jaw muscles from smiling so much. “It was great working with you, Tay.”

 

She turned to Kit with a smile. “It was great working with you too. I hope we can do it; maybe I’ll have my agent talk to yours.”

 

“Can I have your number?” She was flattered but she knew she wasn’t ready for a relationship and she told him as much. “Still, doesn’t mean we can’t be friends right?”

 

“Well I suppose not.” She recited her number and posed for her contact picture. “Nice. Text me so I can get your number.”

 

“Sounds great. I’ll talk to you later then.” He walked off while loosening his tie and she walked over to Walt.

 

“Okay, I’m ready to get out of this dress and stuff my face.” He laughed at her reaction and helped her into the trailer.

 

Not ten minutes later she was back into her clothes with a light layer of makeup on her face and a bottle of water in her hand. Tay shouted goodbye to her agent and got into her car to drive off to her second job as a singer in a popular cafe. She sighed and rubbed her eyes before she got out and she opened the back seat doors to grab her guitar and her electronic piano keyboard. She walked in, lugging the instruments when a man grabbed one of them.

 

“Oh, gosh thank you, sir.”

 

“Of course.” He smiled and held open the door for her. She set the piano case on the stage in the corner of the shop. “I come here every Tuesday and Thursday to hear you sing.”

 

“Really?” Tay smiled happily and he set down the guitar next to the piano. “Well thank you. I’m very flattered.”

 

“Of course.” He nodded then went off to order or something. Tay bent over and unpacked her piano and set it up on the stand then plugged it in. Someone called her name and she looked over her shoulder to see Carla, her boss, wave at her in greeting. Tay waved back with a smile on her face.

 

She turned back around and hopped up on stage and waved at everybody who turned to her in suspense. Some of them waved back and others smiled while a few kids clapped their hands excitedly. She smiled into the mic and said, “Hi, everybody. I’m Tay and I’ll be providing some entertainment for you all while you enjoy the delicious food and drink provided by Thought Cafe.”

 

Tay strummed a few chords to warm herself up before she started singing and playing. Because she was a siren-vampire of sorts, she was able to manipulate people with her voice and she usually used it for good unless she was provoked greatly. Often she manipulated her vocal cords to emanate feelings of happiness or joy or sometimes even to heal someone. She finished the song, took a swig of water, but before she could start a new song a little girl came up to the stage with a shy smile on her face. “Hi, sweetheart.”

 

“Hi. Sing ‘Let it Go’, please.” Tay smiled down at the little girl and the mother suddenly came up to them.

 

“I’m sorry, is she interrupting you?”

 

“No, not at all. She just wanted me to sing a specific song, which I don’t mind doing at all.”

 

“Oh thank you!” The little girl exclaimed and her mother herded her daughter back to their table. Tay smiled at the two then put the guitar down to play her piano.

 

“The snow glows white on the mountain tonight/ Not a footprint to be seen/ A kingdom of isolation/ And it looks like I'm the queen/ The wind is howling like this swirling storm-” Tay stopped playing the piano and singing when she heard a metallic noise ring in her ear. She cringed and looked out the window. An alien-metallic-robot-something-or-other that had a slightly humanoid form and a gun in its ‘hands’ crashed down onto the pavement and screeched to a halt, driving a dent in the road.

 

There was a pause in the restaurant but then all hell broke loose. People pushed over tables in an effort to do something but they realized they couldn’t go outside or else they pose the risk of running into one of those… aliens. She focused and hummed a pitch that was audible to everyone; they all became silent and a bit more calmed. Tay smiled at them and stood up on the stage so they could all look at her. She didn’t use the microphone, however, when she spoke to them and she said everything very articulately.

 

“If everyone could please move away from the windows and any doors. You will not leave this cafe and venture outside until it’s no longer safe for you in here.” She spoke into the crowd and some nodded their heads. “Please do not try to fight these aliens as they have been marked as unfriendly beings.”

 

She stepped off the stage and was about to walk out when the man from earlier grabbed her arm, trying to hold her back. “Where are you going?”

 

“To help my city.”


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two:

 

“You could die, Tay.” He insisted and she yanked her arm out of his grip.

 

“I won’t let it happen. Just stay here and don’t come after me, okay?” He nodded and she felt a bit bad for using her compulsion on him but she had no time to dwell on it. She opened the door and ducked when she heard a beam from an alien on her right. She stalked over to it and in a blur, she ripped off her shoe heel and threw it like a knife into its head.

 

Tay didn’t have any time to waste as she ran over at a human speed and with inhuman strength, she ripped its head off, disabling it. She grabbed the gun in its hand and quickly figured out the mechanism for it. She aimed it at a few of the aliens and they weren’t affected sadly so she threw it at them instead. It split one of them in half and she silently cheered. She pushed out her hearing range to its furthest range and she heard a gun being fired up and she hit the ground before she could get hit.

 

She whipped around and charged at it with her fastest speed and ripped its gun out of its hands before she ripped its head off. Tay really hoped that ripping off their heads would actually kill them. She didn’t dare unleash all of her power because she wouldn’t be able to control herself from not killing anyone. She dashed away from the cafe’s block and nearly ran into a massive green… thing. She screamed in surprise and wondered briefly if he was going to kill her but her question was answered as soon as the thing crashed into the side of a building and kill a bunch of aliens.

 

Tay ran over to a few men and a woman fighting but she was confused as to what they were wearing. Her quick brain absorbed the fact that one was wearing a striped uniform and had a shield in his arm; another had a long red cape and silver armor like a knight but rather than a gun or otherwise, he had a hammer and really muscular arms; the other man had a sheath of arrows and was wearing somewhat normal clothes (all black) but the look in his eyes said he was different than most she had met before; and the woman was wearing a skintight suit with these metal… bracelets on her wrists. Tay could hear the electricity vibrating within them. 

 

She stopped for a moment but ducked out of the way when the striped man threw his shield at her and she caught it. Her eyes widened in surprise and she tossed it back to him before she had to avoid an arrow and a bullet from the man and woman with the arrows and bracelets. Tay frowned and smelled gasoline. Her head whipped to the side to see gasoline from a car drip onto the street.

 

Everything suddenly slowed down: Tay grabbed the striped man who was in danger and she wrapped an arm around his muscled chest. She ran off in the opposite direction to get away from the fire and she looked into his eyes. His very blue eyes.

 

Everything speeds up with her and she lets him go after she straightens him on his feet. “Are you alright?”

 

“How did you do that?” He sounded familiar but in that moment, Tay couldn’t pin down why.

 

“That’s my secret to know and yours to find out.” She smiled and he blinked but suddenly she was gone.

 

Tay’s heart was pounding as she ran away from the striped uniform man and she smiled to herself, despite the chaos and death that surrounded her. She shook her mind from it as she raced around Manhattan to help everyone. She ran away and went to help more people. Tay scooped up a young girl who was looking for her parents and she looked around. "Hey sweetheart. What are you parents' names?"

 

The girl softly spoke, terrified about what was happening around her, and Tay thanked her super hearing. She looked around and ducked out of an alien's way. She stroked the girl's hair and tried to calm her down as she searched the minds of the people around her. Tay found the girl’s father but couldn’t find the mother so she ran towards the father and she gently placed the little girl down onto her feet. “Hey, is this your cutie, sir?”

 

“Oh my god thank you.” The girl ran into her father’s arms and Tay ran behind them to throw off some aliens. She heard a gun being fired up behind her and she dodged the ray. She groaned in agony as it brushed against her arm and burned her. Tay snarled in anguish and she ran over and ripped off its head.

 

Out of the corner of her eye, Tay saw the hole in the sky start to close up and she took a step closer and all the aliens fell around her. Tay adjusted her dress and realized that it was in some rough shape. The ends were ripped and the bust of her dress had a nice burn in the side. She thought that Jack was going to kill her when he saw this dress. She sighed and brushed her hair away as she went to rip off the alien's head. Suddenly it dropped to the broken, uneven ground. What the hell? She looked around and all the other aliens had fallen as well.

 

She took a step away from the bodies and saw that a few people were looking at her weirdly. Tay hacked into their minds and convinced them to forget her and turn around. They blinked and she ran back to the cafe. She stopped a few yards away from the doors and walked the rest of the way, which hurt her feet because she had taken off her shoes (they were heels) earlier. Tay approached the cafe and noticed that the sign had been knocked off and fallen onto the ground, blocking the entrance to the cafe. She bit her lip and she jogged to the back of the building but that was blocked by her smashed car and a chunk of a building. She groaned and shook her head at her totaled car.

 

Tay stalked back to the front and listened for anyone inside: a few were crying, some talking, some silent except for their terrified thoughts. She bent down a bit and pushed the heavy sign a bit out of the way. She continued to push and she noticed that she was making dents in the street but she continued to push the sign and she grunted from the weight and the force exerted. With a final great big push she shoved it into the alleyway and she sighed as she suddenly felt light headed and she braced a hand against the wall to steady herself. Tay breathed in and waited for a moment before she straightened herself and she walked over to the door and gently swung open the doors.

 

She was engulfed by a massive hug by her boss Carla and Tay’s eyes widened in surprise as she hugged her back. The hug turned into a group hug not a moment later and she was starting to feel claustrophobic. “Okay, guys. Let’s let go now.”

 

She used a bit of compulsion and they slowly let go. Carla stayed by her side, however, and she punched Tay in the arm, lightly of course. “God, what the hell is wrong with you?”

 

“Nothing. I just wanted to help people.”

 

“You could’ve stayed and helped us out here!”

 

“If I had done that then you all would still be stuck here in the cafe until someone pushed that sign away from the door.” She paused then she compelled, “Everyone will forget that I pushed away that sign away from the door. It was pushed out of the way by an alien who had tried to get into the cafe.”

 

Her nose started to bleed from using her powers too much for the day and not drinking enough blood and she wiped it away. Her pale skin was covered in various dried blood spots and she felt weird with her pale arms so exposed. She crossed her arms across her chest and looked around. Everyone seemed safe and from what she could tell with her super sensitivity to blood, no one was bleeding. Someone touched her hand and she looked down to see the little girl from earlier. Tay smiled down at her and said, “Hi.”

 

“Hi.” The kid stuck her finger in her mouth and seemed content to just stare at Tay. She decided to make funny faces at the girl who smiled and laughed as the faces progressed. Tay stayed here at the table, entertaining the girl for maybe half an hour before the police came to the cafe and knocked on the doors. Tay didn’t turn around to face the police but rather listened to the conversation as she braided the girl’s hair.

 

“It’s all clear ma’am. You can come out now.” Carla nodded her head and thanked the police officers. “If you see any suspicious activity, please report it.”

 

“Of course. Thank you. Can I get you anything while you’re here?” Tay tapped the little girl on her shoulder and pulled the braid around to show her and the girl hopped off her lap and ran off to presumably show her mother. Tay stood up and walked towards the front as the officers declined the offer.

 

Tay smiled at the officers before they left and she picked up her guitar and her piano. “Okay, Carla, I’m leaving. I have to find Kate and Mickey.”

 

“Of course! Kiss your daughter for me!” She called out and Tay slung the guitar over her shoulder and carried her piano out back to the dumpster. She looked around and didn’t find any cameras so she braced the piano in both her arms then ran to her apartment complex.

 

~~

 

Tay placed her instruments in her room and pulled out her phone to call Kate. “Hey, Kate. Are you and Mickey alright and safe?”

 

“Yea of course. Are you?” Kate asked and Tay could hear Mickey making sounds in the background with Leo, her other best friend and one of her sires from eighty years ago.

 

“Yea, of course. Listen, I need you, Leo, and Mickey to stay in Brooklyn or somewhere else. Go to our safe house in London or something like that. I need to stay hidden for a while.”

 

“You used your powers.”

 

“Yea and I’m exhausted. I need you to keep my daughter safe, Kate. Please.” Tay said as a tear rolled down her cheek. “I don’t know if anyone will come after me but there were camera crews everywhere. I don’t know if someone will hunt me down but I need her safe. She is my top priority.”

 

“Of course, Tay. Leo and I will keep her safe. Do you want us to update you?”

 

Tay bit her lip as another tear fell down. “No. If I need to call you, I’ll use the pre-paid cell phone that’s hidden in the safe house.”

 

“Okay. Be safe, Tay.” She heard Leo echo Kate’s sentiments and Tay hung up the phone. She wiped away her tears and she breathed in deeply. She looked around the apartment and she couldn’t think about what she should do. Should she leave New York and leave her home? Should she start over somewhere else? Why should she stay? This city has been nothing but trouble for her.

 

She bit her lip again and she sighed as she snapped her fingers. Tay decided to stay for a couple of weeks to wrap up her jobs and send in her two-weeks notice for the cafe and the hospital. She grabbed her laptop and started typing up her notice. She grabbed it and really wished that she had her car so it seemed more normal for her to be walking around. Tay sighed and decided to just send it in the mail. She walked down to the lobby of the apartment complex and she smiled at Tony.

 

“Hi, how are you holding up?”

 

“I’m doing fine.” His Scottish accent was heavy and she nodded her head. “Are you alright? Are you and your daughter okay?”

 

“Yea, she was thankfully at my brother’s house so she’s fine.” Tay said with a pretend relieved smile. She pulled the two resignations out of her pocket and handed them to her. “Can you send these out for me, Tony?”

 

“Of course. That is my job after all.” He put them in the mail and she waved goodbye to him as she jogged back up the stairs to her flat. She locked the door behind her and Tay looked around for something to do. She had to stay for another two weeks before she could leave. She saw a photo of Mickey and her at the park and she smiled. She walked to the couch not five feet away from her when she stumbled.

 

She grasped the table next to her and steadied herself on it. Black spots danced across her vision and her head started to pound as she breathed in and out. She closed her eyes and waited for the feeling to disappear. Tay waited for another minute before she straightened up and she slowly made her way to the kitchen. She opened the fridge and opened it up to the blood bags; she grabbed a handful and tossed them onto the counter.

 

She didn’t bother with a glass like she usually does but rather she ripped open the top and she inhaled the drink as quickly as she could. Tay drank the other two bags of blood and she still wasn’t satisfied to her full capacity. She sighed and she went to the bathtub and pulled out her lighter. She lit the bags on fire and waited for it to catch. Tay sat there for a moment as the bags were engulfed in flames and she waited for it to become mostly ash before she flushed the ashes down the drain. There, no more evidence she drank blood.

 

Tay sighed and she washed her hands in the sink. She decided to listen to some music as she started to pack up her apartment and she first walked into her living room. Tay picked up her magazines and tossed them into a box then picked Mickey's toys. She put them in a trash bag, not because they were trash but because she didn't have any more boxes. She would put the boxes in her car but she didn't have one-, stupid alien invasion. Tay stopped what she was doing (which was cramming all of Mickey's toys into a relatively small trash bag) and hopped onto the computer. She searched online for the safest vehicle and purchased it with her credit card. It would be at the dealer in three days and she picked the one outside of New York.

 

Now back to packing. Technically she could use her speed but she didn't have to and she wasn't feeling her best yet, even with the blood. She realized that she needed to drink from someone living and she sighed; Tay had tried to give that up since the 1950s when doctors had instilled the use of a plastic blood bag but she would get sick of the bags and she would be unable to be as powerful as possible. She straightened the couch cushions, blankets, and pillows before she got out the vacuum.

 

Her apartment was clean within no time and speaking of time, she pulled out her phone to look at the time and she realized she had been cleaning for the past six hours. She raised her eyebrows at this in shock and she decided that it was enough for now and she would have to sleep for a while before heading into the hospital tomorrow.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter Three:

 

It's been three days since the aliens had invaded New York and Tay didn't have to resign from either the cafe or the hospital because both were either closed or broken. She was fishing through the fridge as she looked for a blood bag but she didn't have any so she stood up and closed the door before she went to her room and slipped on some tennis shoes. Tay brushed her hair back into a neater pony tail and grabbed her purse.

 

She jogged down to the lobby and went into the parking lot to get into her new car. It was nice, not that she really cared about that, but it would get the job done. She tossed her purse in the seat next to her and backed out. Tay put the car in drive and went over to her long time friend and dealer (of blood bags, don’t worry).

 

Once there, she rang the doorbell and she heard María wheel herself to the door. María looked through the panel to make sure it wasn’t a solicitor and when she saw that it was her friend, she unlocked the door and swung it open with a smile on her face. “Mi Griega favorita! Adelante, adelante!”

 

Tay leaned down and hugged María and said in Spanish, “Hola, María. Cómo estás hoy? Buena, espero?”

 

“Si, por supuesto!” María wheeled herself to the living room and Tay sat down on the couch across from her. “¿Dónde está su pequeña bebé? Quiero conocerla.”

 

“Ella está con mis amigos. Estoy en un poco de problemas y quería a salvo con ellos.” Tay replied and María shook her head in disapproval. “Qué, Maria? Yo estaba tratando de ayudar a todo el mundo durante la Batalla de Nueva York.”

 

“Si, si, si.” María wondered for a moment why Tay was here but she realized quickly that her friend needed more blood. “Y ahora que ya agotado a sí mismo, necesita más sangre. Bien, sígueme. Sabes dónde lo guardo.”

 

Tay laughed a bit at María’s weary tone and she followed her friend to her basement stairs at which point she lifted María up out of the chair and helped her down the stairs. She sat María down at the bottom while Tay went back up to get it. She put it on the ground and lifted María back up into her chair. “¿Estás bien?”

 

She nodded her head and went over to one of her many fridges and opened it up. María moved aside for Tay to take some of the many blood bags inside so Tay grabbed one of María’s grocery bags and filled it up with blood bags. “Tú sabes que las bolsas no le ayudarán como la gente quiere, ¿no?”

 

“Si, yo se.” Tay sighed and hefted the bag into her arms. She dashed upstairs and walked out to her car and put it in the front seat before she ran back in to help María. “¿Creías que iba a dejarte aquí abajo?”

 

“No, no esta vez. Eres una buena amiga.” María paused as Tay lifted her up the stairs then added, “La mayor parte del tiempo.”

 

Tay laughed and called up from the basement, “Ah, gracias. Yo también te amo, María.”

 

“Te amo, Griega.” María called out and Tay lifted her back up into the seat and Maria asked, “¿Quieres algo más antes de salir?”

 

“Sólo un abrazo.” María laughed and opened up her arms and Tay hugged one of her best friends. “¿Seguro que no quieres un poco de mi sangre para curar tú?”

 

“No, estoy seguro. Si yo fuera una vampira, entonces no habría sangre en esos refrigeradores.” She laughed at her joke and Tay couldn’t help but laugh with her. “Bien, ahora sal de mi casa.”

 

“Adios, María.” Tay said before she closed and locked the door behind her as she left her friend’s house. She got into the front seat and started up the car. The grocery bag reminded her that she needed more baby food but then she realized that Mickey wasn’t with her and she sighed. Back home, where everything was either in storage or in boxes.

 

Tay started to drive herself home and she sipped a blood bag while she did. She pulled into her neighborhood when a loud static shock made her gasp in pain as she winced from the sudden pain. She put a cap on the blood bag and tossed it into the grocery bag. She wondered where that had come from and she listened for a moment when she heard, “Does everyone copy?”

 

Following that question came a chorus of “I copy’s” and Tay tilted her head as she listened a bit more and she slowed the car down for a moment. “I have eyes on target. In the car on corner of Brad Street.”

 

Tay looked up and saw that she was on Brad Street. Well, shit. She drove up to her apartment complex like nothing was wrong and parked in her usual spot. A couple of new cars were there and she took a quick glance around as she got out of the car. She kept her hearing on wide alert and she listened to the people, who had wires disappearing into their clothes from their ears and walkie talkies that relayed her every movement. Tay silently cursed in her head as she walked around and got out her grocery bag and her purse then she silently sent Maria a 'thank you' for having grocery bags to hide the blood bags.

 

She slung her purse over her shoulder and balanced the heavy bag in her arms. Her heartbeat was surprisingly calm and she walked into the apartment and waved to Tony who returned it with a smile. She unlocked the next gate with her key and walked over to the elevators. She walked in and thankfully no one was there but almost as soon as the doors closed, a man ran over and stuck his hand between the closing doors. “Wait!”

 

The doors opened back up and she cursed silently. She couldn’t see anything on him but she could hear the slight buzz of electricity radiate from him. “Hi. Sorry about that.”

 

“It’s fine.” He looked familiar but she couldn’t remember why. Usually she was pretty good at remembering faces but he seemed just a bit off. She knew that he was a government something or other, whether he was a spy or assassin or analyst. Tay debated on whether she should peer into his mind; she decided to do it and she saw his name was Clint Barton but could also be known as “Hawkeye” because he was a brilliant archer.

 

Wait. Archer. She remembered him because he was in all black with a bow and arrow from the Battle of New York. He had almost killed her with his arrows. He interrupted her train of thought. “Ma’am?”

 

“I’m sorry, I zoned out. What’d you say?”

 

“I asked if you knew which apartment is being sold.”

 

“Oh you’re interested?” Must be part of his cover story. “Well, I’m the owner, Tay Athans.”

 

She stuck her hand out and he shook it but he tried to flip her around and presumably hurt her but she whipped her hand out of his grasp and she ran out of the elevator just as it opened. Tay ran like a bullet to her apartment and nearly ripped the door handle off the door when she opened it. She ran in and felt a gun pressed to her head. She tried to glance to see who it was but at that angle she couldn’t see. She decided to hack into the person’s mind and Tay read that her name was Natasha Romanoff and she recognized her as the red headed woman with the electric bracelets.

 

“Do you really want to kill me Agent Romanoff?” Agent Romanoff’s eyebrow quirked up for the briefest of moments before she hardened her gaze at the woman. Tay dashed away and put the blood on the counter but she was instantly stabbed in the neck before she ran around the corner. She put a hand to her neck and she pulled out a needle with a sort of “knock-out” chemical inside. Her vision dimmed and she closed her eyes before she was picked up by strong hands. The last thing she saw were black boots.

 

~~

 

SHIELD HQ

 

Tay was lying on the floor in a clear container that was monitoring her vitals and her brain. The team of scientists around the container watched her carefully. Suddenly she bolted upright and looked around in a panic. She took in the team of people around her, hidden behind computers and other various instruments. She looked up and around her to find a sealed metal roof and a floor with holes in it so she could breathe and not die from a lack of oxygen. Tay tapped on the glass and noticed the thickness of it and she groaned and hit her head against it in frustration and to test its thickness.

 

The space wasn't much. It was probably ten feet high with seven feet of pacing room and six feet wide. In the container there was nothing except her. She looked at the scientists and noticed a man out of place: An African American with an eye patch and a wicked scar right above it. Tay spoke to him, "What am I doing here?"

 

"You're here because after that alien attack, I can't have any more surprises." Tay bit her lip and exhaled heavily. "So Ms. Athans, what brings you to earth?"

 

"What do you mean? I've been here for my entire life." She chose her words carefully.

 

"You pose a threat to this entire earth and for the benefit of yourself, you had better explain what you are."

 

"And why should I tell you?" She paused and crossed her arms. "You have a team of scientists who would be itching to cut me apart like an animal or experiment to find out what I am. You're not going to find out unless I tell you, Director Fury."

 

"How did you know that was my name?"

 

"That's my secret to know and yours to find out." She said and she turned her back to him and looked around at the room. There seemed to be no door but she heard Fury leave and she turned around to find that one of the metal panels swung open to let him leave. She took note of the layout of the room and she sat down on the floor.

 

Tay took this time to stretch. She first took off her shoes and tossed them into the corner of her cell. She flexed her muscles then sat back down on the ground. She put her legs together out in front of her and she stretched her fingers as close to her toes as she could. She flexed her feet and tried to lean down even further. She touched her toes and tried to hold it as long as she could before she sat back up and did the butterfly. For a brief moment, Tay wondered why they called it the butterfly but she pushed down on her knees to see how far she could push herself and she sighed as she thought about what she should do if Director Fury came back.

 

Tay bent her head to her feet and stretched out her lower back and her hamstrings. She continued to stretch while Directory Fury made his way back to the bride on the other side of the Helicarrier. His black trench coat swept behind him dramatically as he stalked into the room and Tony looked up briefly from his phone while Steve sat up straighter. Fury knew that they had been watching it on the table as the screens still showed her stretching. “So why am I here?”

 

“She’s a threat, Stark.”

 

“Doesn’t seem like it.” Tony Stark tucked his phone into his pocket and looked at the screen where Tay was stretching into a yoga pose. He paused and said, “She’s hot.”

 

Steve rolled his eyes but he secretly thought so too. He looked away from the screen for a moment and back at Fury. “Sir, I don’t think she’s going to tell us anything. She seems to know more about you than you do her, anyway.”

 

“Yea, how’d she know that your name was Fury? It’s not like SHIElD’s advertising.” Dr. Banner said and he took off his glasses as he was talking.

 

“I don’t know.”

 

“Maybe she’s a spy?” Steve suggested with a serious look on his face.

 

“Maybe, but that doesn’t explain how she was from the elevator to her apartment in less than a second.” Clint said and his eyebrows furrowed a bit. “I want to know is why she didn’t run away or go somewhere else if she can run like that when I shot her with that dendrotoxin. She could have easily run away from it.”

 

“Why don’t you just have Assassin One and Two just drag it out of her?” Tony said with a wave of his hand at Natasha and Clint to indicate about whom he was talking.

 

“She’s a girl, Stark. Not the enemy.”

 

“Not yet.” Fury clarified and Steve looked down at the screen where Tay was pacing the room and biting her lower lip. "Romanoff, you're up."

 

Steve watched Natasha get up and she fixed her ear comm in her ear. He watched her leave with a slight frown and she looked at him with a question in her eyes but she didn’t voice her concerns over his facial expressions. “I’ll be back.”

 

"We’ll miss you.” Tony said sarcastically without looking up from his phone. Clint, Bruce, and Steve all rolled at their eyes and shared a look. The camera popped up with a livestream of what was happening in the cell. Steve rubbed the back of his neck and stared at the screen.

 

Tay heard Agent Romanoff’s very quiet footfalls in the hall before she was visible. Tay had her eyes closed and she was in a split on the floor. She leaned her head down towards her knee as Agent Romanoff entered the room. Tay heard her approach her container and she looked up. She smiled and bounced up. “Hello, Agent Romanoff. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

 

“What’s your name?”

 

“Tay Athans.” Truth.

 

“Where were you born?”

 

“Greece.” Lie. Romanoff could tell and she repeated the question. “You don’t know the place.”

 

“Try me.”

 

“I think the Romans called it Sirenum Scopuli.” Truth.

 

“When were you born?”

 

“1987.” Lie. Romanoff didn’t figure it out this time however.

 

“How did you know my name?”

 

“How do I know I can trust you, Director Fury, or anyone else?” Tay crossed her arms and said, “You know if I really wanted to get out, I would.” 

 

“And how would you do that?”

 

“I bet I could get you to do a cartwheel to that man over there playing Galaga.” Tay pointed to the man who was about seven feet away from Agent Romanoff.

 

“You’re going to persuade me?”

 

“Not exactly.” She narrowed her eyes in thought and tilted her head to the side. Tay hacked into Agent Romanoff’s mind and closed her eyes for a moment as she concentrated. She commanded and manipulated Romanoff’s will, which was unsurprisingly resilient, and moments later Romanoff sprung into action and completed two cartwheels before she stopped.

 

Romanoff looked at Tay in surprise and asked, “How did you do that?”

 

“It’s a bit hard to explain.” Tay paused and listened to something as Bruce Banner started talking about the scientific logistics of it. “I bet if you let me out, I could explain what I can do to a very curious scientist… named Bruce Banner.”

 

“How do you know Bruce Banner?” Tay didn’t say anything but she tapped her ear. “You can hear him?”

 

“Yea. I can also hear… Tony Stark playing on his phone. I want to say that’s the Tetris theme song. There’s a Thor Odinson, although I don’t know if his last name is actually Odinson or just something SHIELD did because he’s the son of Odin. He’s tapping his pointer finger against his chin and I can hear the armor on his chest scrap against the shoulder parts of it. Steve Rogers is tapping his fingers on the table but now he’s stopped. Director Fury was pacing because I could hear his overly dramatic trench coat move around.” She paused then added, “Clint Barton. He’s an archer and he’s pretty quiet.”

 

Agent Romanoff seemed a bit surprised at the extent to which Tay could hear and she nodded her head. Tay noticed this and she said, “So, am I going to be allowed out of this thing anytime soon? It’s a bit claustrophobic in here.”

 

Agent Romanoff didn’t reply but she touched her ear comm. She listened to Fury talk and she studied Tay who had her arms crossed and her posture was slumped. To Romanoff, she seemed relatively relaxed, if anything she seemed bored out of her mind. But the Black Widow knew better. She could sense that Tay was hiding something and she wanted to know what, especially because she just hijacked her actions, thoughts, and will. “It was a pleasure talking to you.”

 

“Feel free to come back. It’s not like I’ll be going anywhere and these scientists, while although they’re smart as hell, they’re as boring as hell and won't talk to me.” Tay waved goodbye and turned around to slump against the glass.

 

Steve was waiting for Tony to look up Sirenum Scopuli. He leaned back in his chair and wondered how a woman like her had to be in confinement. From what he had heard, she was only running away from the most deadliest assassins in the organization, possibly the world. Understandable. But as he watched her pick at her nails and make constellations with the holes in the floor, he knew that Director Fury had reason to lock her up.

 

"Oh I got it." Tony said. The team waited for him to put it in the hologram in the middle of the table and they saw the Wikipedia page. "Looks like the Greek myths my English teacher tried to make me read."

 

"So is she trying to imply that she's a... Siren?"

 

"What is a siren?" Clint asked as Tony scrolled back up and highlighted it.

 

"They used to lure sailors to their deaths with their voices." Romanoff said. She looked back to the monitor where Tay was nodding her head and it took a moment before Romanoff realized that she was listening to their conversation.

 

"How old would that make her?"

 

"She said 1987 which makes her... 28.” Bruce said after a moment while he mentally calculated the age. “I don’t get it. She referenced the Romans as if they weren’t new to her, but rather part of her.”

 

“Are you trying to imply that she’s been around for more than the past thousand years?” Clint asked Banner. Steve raised his eyebrow and stood up from his chair to look at the screen. Tony spoke up.

 

“Looks like you’re no longer the oldest on this ship, Capsicle.” He slapped Steve’s arm and Steve rolled his eyes and stepped away from the irritating billionaire. "So how is this girl still alive?"

 

Everybody started saying a bunch of different suggestion and Steve interrupted. "Why don't you just ask her?"

 

He shrugged and everybody just rolled their eyes. He ended up leaving halfway through Tony's joke about giving her a truth serum and Steve walked out to where Miss Athan’s was in her… cage, for lack of a better word. He nodded to all of the agents who stepped out of his way and Steve didn’t notice all the promiscuous looks from the women who passed him. He opened up the doors and all the scientists looked back at him with a blank face then looked back to their computer monitors. Okay, that wasn’t weird at all.

 

Tay turned around to see Steve Rogers. She was surprised at his looks and his muscular build. She looked him up and down quickly and smiled. “Hi.”

 

“Miss Athans.”

 

“Please, call me Tay.” She walked up and started to hold out her hand but hit it on the glass. “Oh my gods, this is annoying. Ugh.”

 

Tay banged her fist on the glass, but not enough to break the glass. “I’m sorry for that outburst. So what brings you here, Mr. Rogers?”

 

“I’ve come to ask you a few questions.” Steve pulled up a chair and sat across from her cage. Tay sat down on the ground, cross-legged, and she smiled and gestured for him to continue. “When were you born?”

 

“1987.” She repeated.

 

A ghost of a smile flickered over Steve’s face before he went neutral. “When were you born?”

 

“739… B.C.” Tay paused and waited for their reactions. Steve seemed shock nonetheless and the scientists around her had their mouths open and their eyes wide with wonder. She could sense their minds turning over and over at how she could have survived all this time. “Yea, I’ve been around for a long time.”

 

“But you only look like you’re 28.”

 

“That would be correct.”

 

“How?”

 

“It’s a long story.” She paused and thought about answering the question as she stared at him. “But I guess I’ve got nothing but time so I suppose I’ll answer your question.”

 

She readjusted her legs and she smiled at Steve. “Let’s see. I guess I should tell you from where it all began.”

 

Tay stood on the white beach, watching her brothers play on the sand and she smiled at their foolish games. “Teles!”

 

She turned around and looked behind her at her father. She smiled and walked over to him, her head turned down and her hands folded in front of her. “Yes, father?”

 

“I have arranged for you to marry Apollo.” Her father looked down at her with disdain clearly written on his face.

 

“Yes, father.” She nodded her head and sighed. At only fourteen, which was a bit old for someone like her family, she was to be married off to a complete stranger. Not that that was unusual for Ancient Greek, but it was still something she didn’t want to do either way. She went back to her brothers, but instead of playing with them, she sat on the sand and tucked her blue tunic underneath of her and kicked off her sandals. She twisted the necklace around her neck and she curled her toes into the sand.

 

Tay shifted the scene from the sand to nearly four years later. She had just turned eighteen and was still with Apollo; they had two children together, a boy and a girl, and Tay came home that night to find Apollo screwing with another woman. Something in her snapped and she stormed over to him with an incredible speed. She ripped the woman away from him and yelled in his face, “You manwhore!”

 

She knew well enough that it was not her place to concern herself with the affairs of her husband but she did not care anymore. Tay grabbed him by his ear and she yanked him up on his feet. The other woman had long since left and it was just the two of them. She lifted him towards his window which overlooked beautiful Grecian waters. Apollo wretched himself out of her grip and he grabbed her by the neck with his incredible strength then he started to tighten his grip on her throat slowly at first then he exponentially applied more strength.

 

Tay felt herself lifted off the ground and she struggled for air. “You dare call me a manwhore. You are nothing to me.”

 

With that, he pushed her off the cliff.

 

Tay stopped her story there and opened her eyes. She breathed in deeply and touched her nose to check for any blood. She didn’t feel anything there so she looked at Steve. “He killed me that day. If he hadn’t shoved me into the water, I would have been dead.”

 

“That doesn’t explain how you’re alive now though.” Agent Romanoff was also there and she crossed her arms.

 

“That’s because I wasn’t done, Agent Romanoff.” Tay smiled and she looked down at her hands in her lap. “I sort of woke up the next day and I was in the ocean. I could breathe and it didn’t bother my lungs. It was a weird feeling. I was different; I was stronger, more confident, and… I was physically different. I wasn’t this awkward, short, tan little girl anymore. But I also wasn’t the same person you see today.

 

“I spent nearly a week under the water and after, I was a lot different. I had strength like the strongest man on earth, beauty like the goddess herself, Aphrodite, intelligence like the philosopher Aristotle, and a voice like the Nine Muses. I could run from a point to the next in a matter of a couple of seconds rather than minutes. My hearing was extended to hear about five miles within my location-”

 

“Sounds awesome.” Tony interrupted and she gave him a hard glare.

 

“It was a curse.” Tay replied and she crossed her arms. “I was a freak. I went home the next day to see my family but they couldn’t even recognize that it was their own daughter or sister. It was terrifying. My mother, however, she knew what I was because she was also a siren. She told me that I needed to leave and that I needed to marry into a another family.

 

“So the next day, I was married to a man whose name was Silas. He was… a bit magical in a sense. He called himself a Traveller and he was a good man. He didn’t like to conform to society because it had punished him so I was more free than I had ever been.” She paused and shifted uncomfortably on her feet. “About three years later, Silas had an affair with a woman named Tatia. She was beautiful and sweet. I had known for a while, but with Silas and I… we understood each other and we knew that we weren’t in love. But he wanted Tatia to be immortalized so that they could live together forever.

 

“Since he was a man of magic, he decided to create an immortality spell. He wanted to perfect it so for dinner one night, rather than wine, I had the potion. It was a long night then. Silas watched over me to see what had happened and I felt relatively the same except for a new tick. Now I had the urge to drink blood. Silas didn’t want Tatia or himself to be a slave to blood so he ignored what he did to me and tried to fix it.

 

“Sirens aren’t immortal. They age and they die. But Silas with his stupid immortality voodoo, he made me relatively immortal.”

 

“What about your family?” Steve asked.

 

“I went to my brothers and asked if they wanted to stay on the earth. I told all seven of them about the need for blood. I… sired five of them and three of them are still alive.” She smiled and laughed a bit. “Surprisingly they’re still the same and they all have happy lives of their own.”

 

“And you? Are you happy?” Clint asked.

 

“I guess you could say that.” She replied as she thought about her daughter Mickey. Her lips curled up in a smile and Steve couldn’t help but think that she looked like a vision when she smiled. He shook his head of those thoughts and reminded himself that she was deadly.

 

“So what exactly can you do?” Bruce asked from a distance.

 

“Well, the immortality spell amplified my personality and even though I was already fast, I became faster. My voice, which was a siren’s weapon to lure sailors to their deaths, became even deadlier and now I have to control every word I’m saying otherwise people fall into a sort of trance. I became stronger.” She sighed and everybody could tell that she hated what she was. It was written in the way she had her arms crossed over her chest, her slumped posture, her dull eyes, her very brief moments of amusement.

 

“So how do I know that you’re not tricking us now?” Fury asked.

 

“If I wanted to trick you, I’d be out of this cage now and out of this ship… thing.” Tay gestured around her and she recrossed her arms. “But that’s my story.”

 

“But that’s not the entire story.” Romanoff pointed out.

 

“Oh gods, of course it isn’t. That’d be a bit ridiculous to tell you everything about me. As a spy organization, I’m sure you can understand.” Tay raised an eyebrow and made an amused smirk. “Tony, stop checking out my butt, please.”

 

Tony rolled his eyes but he kept them away from her backside and everybody but Steve laughed a bit. She noticed his slight frown and she realized that he was annoyed by both Stark’s attitude and antics; he didn’t like the idea of a sexist pig. Well, what a refreshing opinion. She half-smiled at him to let him know she really didn’t mind. It wasn’t like that hasn’t happened every day for the past two thousand years. Tay turned to Fury and raised her eyebrows as she asked, “So what’s your plan? What will you do with me now?”

 

“Maybe recruit you for SHIELD. Maybe kill you-”

 

“It’ll be very difficult to kill me Fury. I don’t die easily.” She interrupted and she looked around at the questions written in the Avenger’s faces. “You can try, however.”

 

“Are you challenging us? We have a hulk.”

 

“Excuse me?”

 

“A hulk.” Tony repeated and he clapped Bruce on the back. “I’m sure you’ve seen the rage monster.”

 

“I know what happened to Dr. Banner,” She tapped the side of her head and said, “but that doesn’t mean you should poke fun.”

 

“Let’s get her out of this really tasteless cage thing and get her into the SHIELD training facility.”

 

“I have a few compromises first.” Fury said as he crossed his arms.

 

~~

 

A mouthguard, two pairs of heavy duty handcuffs, and an ear comm that would send a high pitch frequency into her ear if she ever got out of control later, Tay was released from the cage and smiling underneath the metal guard. She stretched and walked through the doors. A gray facility opened up in front of her and the Avengers stood in the middle, waiting for her to walk over. She calmly walked over and raised an eyebrow at Director Fury.

 

“You’ll start with Captain Rogers.” She looked over to Steve who nodded his head and led the way to the boxing ring.

 

“I’m sorry about the mouthguard, ma’am.” He said as he hopped up into the ring and he held out a hand to her. She just nodded her head and stepped back a few steps before she used her strength to flip herself over the rope. “Or not.”

 

Steve let his hand fall to his side before he walked to the other side of the ring. Tay stood opposite to him and studied him for a moment. She knew that he liked to make the first move, so she waited, but only for a brief second. Steve threw out his right hand and she ducked before she realized he was about to kick her. She flipped over and she slid between his legs in a second. He turned around and Tay ducked from his swing but Steve expected it and tried to hit her in the stomach. She grabbed onto his arm and she swung herself around with both hands and landed on her feet on the other side of his arm. She swept his feet and he landed on his side but sprang back up.

 

Tay decided to go on the offensive and she swept his legs from beneath him with her strength; the force of the blow caused Steve to fly through the air and she ran over with her speed and caught him before he crashed to the ground. He didn’t stop fighting and Tay sped away from him as he tried to kick her. Her long brown hair fell in her face and she whipped it behind her before Steve threw a punch. She bent backwards, kicked out, and Steve landed gracefully on his feet. He ran at her and tried to grab her to throw her down but suddenly she wasn’t there. Tay was behind him and she jumped onto his back, wrapped her legs around his neck, and pulled them both down. She dashed out from underneath of him and looked down to see that she had knocked the wind out of him.

 

She heard Tony clap and she looked over for a moment before Steve quickly swept her feet from underneath of her. She was flipped over and Tay wanted to hold out both her hands but they were handcuffed… twice. She landed on her hands and she landed face up on the floor. She heard the crack before she felt the pain. Tay screamed in the back of her throat at the broken bone and she lifted her legs up and flipped herself upright. She looked down at her hand and saw that it was bent at a really weird and severe angle. She grimaced and a tear fell down her cheek.

 

Tay held her wrist in her hand as Steve stood up with a look of horror in his eyes. “Ms. Athans, I’m so sorry about your hand. Dr. Banner!”

 

She shook her head and she grasped her hand. Tay closed her eyes and popped the bone back into its natural place. A sickening crunch echoed throughout the gym and she screamed in her throat. She breathed in through her nose and tried to calm down; she looked up and locked eyes with Steve. She pointed to her mouth guard and pointed back towards Director Fury, signaling that she wanted to get the guard off. Steve looked hesitant and she rolled her eyes then closed them.

 

Tay started to hum as Dr. Banner walked over with a medical team. She hummed and the bone slowly grew back together. By the time, Dr. Banner was at her side and trying to see her hand, the bone was set and healed. She showed him and rolled it around a bit to show that it was all healed. “How?” 

 

Tay reached up and pointed to her voice box. When Bruce couldn’t quite understand the connection- although, who could blame him because it was a bit outlandish- Steve stepped in and waved off the medical team. “She started to hum and it healed. Somehow her voice healed her hand.”

 

“Can you do that for someone else if they were injured?” Dr. Banner asked. She nodded and shifted her weight to her other foot, making her a bit closer to Steve. Suddenly a really high pitched frequency emitted itself from her ear comm. She fell on her knees and groaned. Tay felt a trickle of blood run down her nose. She sighed and stood up with the help of Steve; she smiled gratefully at him (even though Steve couldn’t see it) and he nodded his head with a slight smile on his face.

 

“Sir, I believe the mouth guard isn’t necessary.”

 

“I think we should be cautious, just in case. Not to discredit you, Tay.” Natasha said and Tay shrugged.

 

“So what else does she have to do?” Tony asked.

 

“Why don’t we try archery?” Clint said with an amused smirk.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter Four:

 

In her head, Tay laughed, but she appeared calm and collected. She lifted her joined hands together to draw attention to her handcuffs. Fury sighed before he used his thumbprint to unlock the handcuffs and she sighed in relief as one of her handcuffs are released. Fury unlocked the other one with a retinal scan and she sighed in relief as she was allowed the use of both her hands.

 

Tay stretched them and sighed then smiled underneath her mouth guard. Clint nodded his head towards the range and she jogged after him while Fury, Romanoff, Banner, Thor, Steve, and Tony went to the observation room to watch the two.

 

She picked up the bow and stretched it a bit. A bit tighter than the average bow but she was strong so it didn’t matter much. She looked at the handful of targets on the other side of the training center. Clint gestured for him to go first. He smirked and lifted his bow then snapped the bow back to let the arrow fly; it landed squarely in the center. Tay applauded politely and she heard Tony's smart comments about Legolas- whoever that is. Clint bowed from her reaction then he stepped aside to let her try her hand at archery. She nodded her head in thanks and she stretched her arms before she steadied her bow.

 

Tay took her stance and Clint's eyebrows slightly raised as he saw her confidence and expertise flow from her movements. She took a glance at him behind her and she aimed her arrow at the target without looking at it then she let the arrow splice right through Clint's. There was a brief silent moment before Clint walked up and tucked into a roll before he let an arrow fly into the next target.

 

Oh, so he wanted a competition. Well she'd give him one then. Tay did a no-handed cartwheel and she shot the arrow into the bullseye. Clint and Tay continued their dance and as the targets' distance increased, Clint grew more and more frustrated because Tay's accuracy or strength or anything else didn't weaken and diminish over time.

 

"How are you doing that?" He asked after he gave up. He gave her a sideways glance and she seemed to be contemplating the answer but then he foolishly realized that she was trying to communicate without speaking. "Well I guess that will just have to wait for later."

 

"You're damn right it will." Director Fury stormed into the room and Tay winced from the sudden banging the flung open door made. She set down her bow and sheath of arrows by Clint's and she held up her arms for the handcuffs. He didn't put them on however. "You've beat my two of my best agents. Limited even. I don't trust you."

 

"What about all of us then?" Tony suggested as he texted on his phone. Fury actually seemed to be considering the idea. "Let's see what she's made of."

 

"Sir, I think we should take off her mouth guard." Tay nodded her head at Steve's suggestion and Fury seemed dead set against it but in the end, Agent Hill's support pushed him over the edge. He unlocked the mechanism and Tay sighed in relief.

 

She worked her jaw for a moment before she smiled at Steve. "Thank you, Mr. Rogers. I owe you one."

 

"What about me?"

 

"Well now I have to fight all of you. That's... Six of you against one of me."

 

"Somehow I think you'll do just fine." Clint clapped her on the shoulder and she smiled at him. Most of them were relaxed around her and it made her feel more at ease, despite her situation.

 

"Oh I don't doubt that. I just feel bad for you guys." She grinned and darted to the other side of the training arena in the blink of an eye. "Well if you guys want to change and gather any weapons, I would do that now."

 

"I'm good." Clint stated, and Natasha and Hill agreed with him. Tony disappeared for a moment and Thor held out his hand to retrieve his hammer. Tay watched in awe as the hammer came flying through the doors. Tony walked in not a moment later with his suit and Steve reappeared with his stripes and shield. Tay stood up and looked around; she didn't see Bruce. She titled her head and she heard him with Fury in the observing room. She looked in the direction and called out to them.

 

"Dr. Banner, you aren't joining us?"

 

For a moment there was a pause as Bruce reached for the intercom button. "I don't think you want me joining you."

 

"I don't think there's anything that will pose a serious threat." Tay shrugged and Steve shook his head.

 

"Ma’am, it's not safe for everyone on board."

 

"You guys are underestimating me." She said, irritated that they seemed to forget the extent of her powers. "How about I assure you that on my more than two thousand year life of death and loss that no one on this ship will die at your hands?"

 

Bruce bit his lip but Fury shook his head. "He will not be joining you Miss Athans."

 

"Humph." She made the noise with a childlike manner and Steve had begun to realize all of her different personalities she possessed. "Fine, suit yourself. But your teammates are going to be embarrassed without you."

 

Tay turned her attention to the Avengers in front of her: they made a deadly combination but she had faced worse, so she wasn't all too afraid. "Ready princess?"

 

"Are you?" She replied with a smile and Clint notched an arrow so quickly that his friends didn't see it. He let it fly; she caught it then threw it to the side just as it exploded and all of it happened within seconds. She just grinned back at all of them and she jogged forward and flipped over a weapons rack. She suddenly leaned back so that her knees carried her forward as her head leaned almost the floor when Thor's hammer flew past her head.

 

Tay jumped back up and Tony flew at her but she dashed out of the way with her super speed. She laughed and exclaimed, "If I don't have you putting your weapons down in five minutes, we can call it quits and you can lock me back up and do whatever you want with me."

 

Natasha was surprised at her all-or-nothing negotiating and she knew that Tay had nothing to lose at the point. As she was lost in thought for a moment, she didn't see Tay blur over to her and detach her Widow's Bites. Natasha cursed and she watched the girl place them in the farthest corner of the training arena.

 

Tay grimaced as Steve's shield sliced open and she held her arm. Crap, she pulled away her hand and it came back entirely bloodied. She looked around her and slowly everything came into focus. She whipped around the Avengers at a blinding speed and she had their weapons stacked in a neat corner of the room before they could even blink. Tony's Iron Man suit wasn't detached however. She wasn't quite sure how that worked.

 

"Game over." Tay stated with a slight smirk at them but then she looked back down at her arm which still hasn't healed and she whispered "Crap."

 

She touched her arm and looked down at her shirt then ripped off the end to make it into a makeshift bandage. She tied it very tightly right above her cut and then tore off another strip to dab at the cut.

 

"Hey how'd you do that?" Natasha said.

 

"Uhm excuse me?" Tay replied with a distracted look. Steve noticed that she was tending to her cut and she looked concerned. He started to walk over to her but cast a look back to Dr. Banner and Fury, who were no longer in the observing box.

 

"Disarm us?"

 

"I just used my speed." Tay explained simply as she looked back up. Steve noticed that she let her arm hang limply by her side. He approached her and she raised an eyebrow. "Can I help you, Mr. Rogers?"

 

"Let me see your arm."

 

"Don't worry about it." Tay said with an uneasy grin. "I've had worse."

 

"Are you sure you're alright, ma'am?" She titled her head and she wondered how he was so old-fashioned. She nodded her head though as Dr. Banner entered the room with Fury not long after.

 

"So how do I know that I can trust you on this ship when you can disarm everyone in seconds?"

 

"Well you can't." She stated and she looked Fury right in the eye. "I know I'm a threat to everyone and everything that has ever existed. But you do well to keep in mind that you're the one who captured me. I didn't ask to be on this ship or in the eye of the government. I left a life to make sure that I wouldn't hurt anyone in it."

 

"Who did you leave?" Tony asked in his Iron Man suit.

 

"I'm not telling you anything." Tay said with a cold tone and everyone was surprised at the sudden and extreme shift in her demeanor. Whoever she was protecting must be very special and Steve felt a flare of jealousy in his heart. "Now do you plan to keep me locked up?"

 

Fury cast her a wary glance. "No, not for now. I think I'll put you up with the Avengers."

 

With that he left and she raised her both eyebrows in confusion. "Does he usually do that?"

 

"What?" Steve asked.

 

"Stick you with enemies of SHIELD as your new roommate?" They gave each other side ways smiles and Tony watched them curiously but surprisingly didn't say anything.

 

"You'd be surprised." Clint replied as he walked back over with his sheath of arrows slung on his back and he passed back various weapons. "So where'd you learn to shoot like that?"

 

"I was born in a time where the bow and the arrow were the mightiest weapons one could wield. And I've had thousands of years to practice so I could beat you anytime."

 

"I'm looking forward to it."

 

"So do I actually have to take orders from him?" She bit her lip and Steve glanced down at her habit. He quickly looked away though and he answered her question.

 

"Yea. I don't think there was any room for questions in his order." He replied and she nodded.

 

"So what is the 'Avengers Tower'?" She asked and Tony finally spoke up.

 

"It was Stark Towers but all of the letters fell off except the 'a'." He paused as he looked on his phone. "Now we all stay there so SHIELD can contact us if they need to."

 

"But I'll still be under SHIELD monitoring?" She didn't ask it really and Steve wondered why she was so disappointed. Natasha and Clint picked up on it too and Clint questioned her about it. "I was just hoping to go back to my life."

 

"And back to whoever you're protecting?" Natasha asked. Tay nodded and she smiled sadly.

 

"I have to go back."


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter Five:

 

Tay was escorted by Thor and Steve to her apartment to collect her things and she invited them into her living space. She noticed that nothing had been moved, even her grocery bag of blood sat unrefrigerated on her counter. She sighed and realized that was a waste of her money, not that she didn’t have enough of it.

 

“Help yourselves to anything in the fridge. You can leave the boxes and bags. My landlord won’t mind them.”

 

“Are you sure?” Steve asked.

 

Tay nodded and replied, “Yea. My brother’s the landlord of the majority of the apartments in this neighborhood so you’ll forgive me if I’m not too concerned, Mr. Rogers.”

 

Steve nodded his head and gestured to the boxes and bags around them. “So what would you like us to carry for you?”

 

“If you give me one minute, I should have everything in suitcases.” As soon as he nodded, Tay dashed off in a supernatural blur to her bedroom. She stood there for a moment, her arms akimbo, then she ran around her room like a furious tornado, hurriedly packing clothes and folding them into three boxes, four suitcases, and one bag. She yelled out to Steve, “Okay, I’m done. Can you and Thor come help me lift them?”

 

“Yea, just a second.” She heard Steve explain to Thor the purpose of the television that was in the living room as they walked back to her room. She brushed her hair behind her ear as Steve rounded the corner.

 

She smiled in greeting and picked up two of the boxes with the bag hooked on her wrist. “Okay, my car’s parked just outside of the building so it shouldn’t be much of a problem.”

 

Thor grabbed the other box and one of the suitcases and Steve took the rest of the suitcases. Steve watched her and the sway of her hips but, ashamed at his actions, looked to the floor to watch his step. She held the elevator doors open and Steve and Thor hurried up to catch the elevator. “I’ll never understand Midgardian transportation customs.”

 

“Midgardian?” She raised an eyebrow in slight confusion. “Is that Norse mythology speak for Earth?”

 

“You know Norse mythology?" Steve asked incredulously while Thor said, "yes."

 

"Mr. Rogers, I was born during a time when people thought the sun moved across the sky because a god brought it around while in a chariot." She said with a smile. He found himself staring at her innocent smile and he smiled as well.

 

"You seem familiar, Lady Tay." Thor stated and he stared at her, trying to figure out the mystery.

 

"I think I met you a while ago, like four hundred years ago. Maybe it was Germany." She shrugged and they walked out to her car. She unlocked the doors and they piled her stuff into the trunk. Steve was quick to offer his services as was Thor but she quickly reminded the two that she had inhuman strength.

 

"Right. It's just easy to forget that you're not human."

 

"I'm a monster." She said with a sad shrug and Steve wanted to comfort her so badly. He wanted to tell her that he thought she was an angel.

 

~~

 

Steve watched Tay with a smile on her face as she was talking to Clint. He was nudged hard and he lost his balance for a moment and he looked behind him to find Tony standing there with a smug look on his face. "Watcha starin' at, Capsicle?"

 

"Nothing, Stark."

 

"I think you were staring at that beautiful woman." Tony gestured to Tay, who was laughing with her head thrown back and her posture completely relaxed. Steve found himself enchanted by the sight and she looked in his direction then gave him a secretive, happy smile. "And it looks as though she likes you too, old man."

 

"Tony, what are you doing teasing Steve?"

 

"I was just saying that he wouldn't have the guts to tell you that you're beautiful."

 

"Really? And what about you? Would you tell Clint that he's beautiful?" She joked with Tony and Steve was happy to find that she was completely graceful in social encounters with the idiot named Tony Stark. "I'm sure he needs the ego boost like he needs a hole in the head- oh wait. That would be you, Mr. Stark."

 

Everyone snickered and Tay smirked proudly and Tony replied, "Please. You've probably been told you're beautiful all the time so it wouldn't matter much coming from Steve."

 

"I get hit on by guys who think that girls actually like it when they catcall and whistle and shout derogatory words at them. I can assure you I'm not that type of girl." Tay crossed her arms and for once, the great and snarky Tony Stark was at a loss or words. "Oh and thank you for letting me to stay in your not-at-all humble abode."

 

She bowed and dragged her suitcase while Clint clapped at her exit. Steve couldn’t help but smile at her and her personality. She didn’t seem the least bit fazed that she had teased one of the richest men and Steve attributed that to her thousands of years of existence but deep down, he knew that was what she was always like.

 

Tay dragged the last of her stuff into her lavish room and she sighed at the grandeur of it all. “Is something awry Ms. Athans?”

 

She jumped in surprise because she hadn’t heard anyone approach. She looked around and listened for a moment to the heartbeats around her but Tay didn’t hear anyone new. This person had a slight English accent and she looked around. No one. “Who’s there?”

 

“That would be JARVIS.” Clint appeared in her doorway and she whipped around at the sound of her voice. “Jumpy much?”

 

“I’m just not used to invisible people talking to me.”

 

“He’s Stark’s AI- artificial intelligence. JARVIS is a butler. Well, sort of.” He amended and she nodded.

 

“Oh, I didn’t realize that Mr. Stark had implemented so much technology into his home.” She paused as she looked around the room. “There aren’t any more surprises, are there Mr. Barton?”

 

“It’s Clint and I don’t think so.”

 

“Okay thanks.” He nodded and left then Tay said, “Uh, no JARVIS. But thank you.”

 

She felt rather strange talking aloud to a system but as long as it was normal in Stark’s house, then it was okay with her. Tay started to unpack at the normal rate but then she gave up and just sped around her room and stashed everything where it should be. She stood with her arms on her hips with a satisfied with the job she had done. She scanned the room another time to make sure nothing was out of place.

 

Tay debated on whether or not she should walk out and socialize but after a moment of consideration, she decided to make herself presentable and change her clothes. She had been wearing the same clothes for the past two days and she felt disgusting. Instead of just changing her clothes, she walked into what she assumed was the adjoined bathroom and started a shower. At least that’s what she thought she was doing. Suddenly, music started blaring from hidden speakers. She waved her hands around, freaking out.

 

Suddenly the music stopped and JARVIS asked, "Would you like help, miss?"

 

"Oh my gods, yes please." The shower started to run and she sighed in relief. "Bloody hell. I didn't know that taking a shower could be this complicated."

 

She stripped and hopped into the shower. She sighed in pleasure as the warm water beat down on her tired body and she lathered her body and hair. After a while she got out and dried off with a hot towel handed to her by an extended arm out of the wall. She raised her eyebrows and nodded. "Thank you, JARVIS."

 

"You're welcome, Miss Athans." How did he know her name? Hm, Tony must have filled him in about who she was. She wrapped herself up and stepped out into her room.

 

She looked into her closet and picked out a yellow dress with a brown belt. She threw that on the bed and took off her towel to quickly absorb all of the major water. Tay slipped the dress on and wrapped the belt around her waist then breathed in and enjoyed the feeling of being clean. She brushed out her hair and quickly dried her hair with the towel and swiped some mascara on her eyelashes. She hung her towel in the bathroom then she put some Toms on and sighed.

 

After stalling long enough, she walked out to the main living area and she saw Clint and Thor watching TV, Steve was at the counter drawing in a note pad, Tony was drinking and talking to someone new, and Natasha and Bruce were absent. She tentatively walked out and smiled at Steve, who looked up at the sound of her feet.

 

Tay's heart skipped a beat when he smiled at her and she frowned internally at her body's reaction. Against her better judgement she walked over to him and sat down next to him in the stools in front of the kitchen bar. "Hello Mr. Rogers."

 

"Call me Steve, ma'am." He held out his hand after he closed his sketchbook. She took it and she smiled at him and stared right into his very blue eyes.

 

"Only if you'll call me, Tay." She smiled and she looked down at his old notebook. "So what were you working on?"

 

"It's nothing."

 

"Really?" She teased and he couldn't help but be awed by her brilliant smile. "Are you sure you're not the next Picasso?"

 

"Well he's definitely as old as Picasso." Steve locked his jaw at Tony's dig and Tay turned to Stark with a raised eyebrow.

 

"Why do you keep making jokes about his age?" She asked Tony but then turned to Steve for her next question. "What are you- twenty six, twenty seven?"

 

Steve opened his mouth to answer but a slightly intoxicated Tony cut in before he could answer. "Try ninety."

 

"Steve?" She said for clarification as to what Tony was talking about. Her eyebrows scrunched up and her eyes went wide- Steve thought she looked absolutely adorable. He shook his head of such thoughts and answered her question.

 

"I was born in 1920. I joined the army during World War II. My last mission was cut because I crashed into an ice bank. The ice froze me and Howard Stark found me then SHIELD took me in while I was... Sleeping." Anyone could tell that Steve was rather uncomfortable talking about his past and Tay was no stranger to uncomfortable pasts and stories.

 

"Howard Stark?" She glanced between Steve and Tony as Steve pushed his notebook a bit farther away from him.

 

"My father." Tony raised a hand as he poured himself another glass.

 

"He was a friend." Steve added with a sad smile.

 

"He was an ass." Tay frowned and her nose turned slightly upward at the thought that a son would dare to call his father such a degrading name. She dismissed it as a custom of this new century. Tony threw back his new drink and started to pour himself another but when he reached for the bottle, he found that it was missing. He looked around and saw it in Tay’s hands. “What the hell, Barbie?”

 

“Barbie?” She was offended at the nickname and didn’t think she looked anything like Barbie. Hmph. Clint came in and laughed at the nickname while Tay became more than a bit disgruntled at her new name. “How old is this scotch anyway?”

 

“Thirty two, I think.” Tony made a grab for it but he was too slow and she saw it from a mile away. She smirked.

 

“I think you’ve had enough.”

 

“Please, this is nothing.” He paused and looked her up and down, judging her. “I bet I could drink more than you.”

 

“Really?” She feigned shock but she knew that she couldn’t get drunk. “Okay. How about a drinking contest? But we should measure the amount of drinks with the amount of hangover pain.”

 

“You’re on.” Tony said and he shook her outstretched hand.

 

“Tay, are you sure? Tony’s a pretty experienced drinker.” Clint said with a slightly concerned frown and Steve looked disapproving as well.

 

“Well, it’s too late to back down now, Barbie.” Tony said with a shrug.

 

She flashed Steve and Clint her winning smile that had both guys a bit dazed. “I wouldn’t worry about me.”

 

~~

 

Tay woke up in an unfamiliar room and she bolted upright. She scanned her surroundings quickly; she remembered that she was in the Avengers Tower and she sighed in relief. She scanned the room again, although not as fast this time, and she saw that she managed to get into her room. There was no trace of any hangover in her mind and she smiled. She quickly threw her hair back into a ponytail and smiled at herself in the mirror.

 

She nearly skipped out of her room. On her way out, she nearly ran into Natasha who looked at her surprised at Tay’s exuberance. “Oops, my apologies, Ms. Romanoff.”

 

“No, it’s okay.” The agent replied with a slightly cautious look. “And it’s just Natasha.”

 

“Oh, okay… Natasha.” Tay smiled then left to see how Tony fared. Everybody was in the kitchen, gathered around either the table or the breakfast bar. Tony had his head resting against the counter and she grinned. Steve saw her first and she put a finger to her lips. He got the message and went back to his newspaper; he really was an old soul.

 

Tay quietly snuck up behind Tony and in a loud voice greeted him with a “I win, Stark!”

 

He jumped and covered his ears and she saw that he had sunglasses on. He groaned when he realized who it was and he went back to lying his head back down on the cool counter. “What the hell is the matter with you? You drank at least twice as much as I did.”

 

“Fast metabolism, I guess.” She grinned and patted him gently on the head and he weakly swatted her away. She just laughed along with everybody else.

 

“So how does that work?” Dr. Banner asked. She smiled at him and sat across from him and next to Steve.

 

“I think it’s because my cells are undergoing mitosis at an abnormal rate that the alcohol doesn’t have enough of an impact on my body.” He seemed just a bit surprised at her wealth of knowledge but at the same time, he knew he shouldn’t be because she had been alive for so long. She looked around and noticed everyone was just drinking coffee or water. “Do you guys want me to make breakfast?”

 

“Yes!” Clint replied quickly and she laughed at his enthusiasm and she looked around at everyone nodding their heads in agreement. She laughed a bit and it relaxed everyone.

 

“Tony, I have a secret hangover cure. Want to know my secret?”

 

“You’re not going to turn me into a vampire, right?” He asked then he added, “Because I don’t think I could put up with Capsicle for eternity.”

 

Tay rolled her eyes but shook her head no. “Do you trust me?”

 

“Sort of.”

 

“Good enough for me.” Then she blurred around the kitchen and not a moment later, she had a glass in her hand with orange juice in it. “Before I give this to you, do you have any cancer or anything like that?”

 

“I have the arc reactor.” He pulls down his shirt to show her the metal in his chest and she frowns.

 

“Well crap.” She frowned and then called out, “Hey JARVIS, do you mind putting on ‘Not About Angels’ by Birdy?”

 

“Of course, Miss Athans.” The AI replied and not a moment later the song came on the stereos. She smiled and started to sing along to the song, intending her healing powers to be directed towards Tony’s hangover. Tay went about starting breakfast, a bit oblivious to all the awe and enchanted stares that she was getting from those around her.

 

Tony felt his headache start to be alleviated and he took off his sunglasses and realized that the room was no longer fuzzy or spinning and he raised his eyes at the woman before him. Tay popped a couple of pieces of toast into the toaster, a few eggs on the stove, and pancakes in the pan while singing along. The song came to an end and she looked over to Tony.

 

“How’s your hangover?”

 

“Like it never happened.” He said incredulously. She smiled widely and finally noticed everyone’s stares. She quickly went back to her work as if that had never happened. Tony pressed for answers. “So how does that work?”

 

“What does everyone want to eat?” She asked, ignoring the question Tony had put forth. Everyone voiced in their orders and she nodded her head, remembering everything. Tony asked again but she ignored him and finished up breakfast. She grabbed a few plates and started to put everything together. Tay set the food down in front of the Avengers then took a sip of orange juice as she sat down at the breakfast bar.

 

“To answer your question Tony, it’s hard to explain. I guess there are two ways I could explain this: there’s the scientific way or the layman’s terms.” The reply from the curious teammates was a mix of choices so she decided to explain in both.

 

“So I guess the first thing you should understand is that I can read your mind. Not just your thoughts, but also your memories, emotions, and everything else that comprises your personality. I want you to visualize a room with multiple barriers. The first barrier is the foremost and dominant emotion and thought in the brain. The next is something that the person’s trying to repress on purpose. The third is what the person represses accidently, like memories or emotions. That goes on for a while then the last barrier isn’t really a wall but more of a… fog? It’s here where I can manipulate emotions, will, thoughts.”

 

“So you can control the hippocampus and the hypothalamus?” Bruce asked for clarification.

 

“I control the actions associated with those parts of the brain as well as the amygdala.” Everyone but Bruce looked slightly confused and she explained, “The Hypothalamus triggers the physical manifestations such as the pounding heart and dry mouth that come with fear. The Hippocampus is responsible for our memories of incidents that carry a strong emotional tie. The Amygdala influences the manners in which we behave when emotionally aroused. For example, laughing when happy, and crying when distressed. It is particularly active in emotional reactions associated with fear, anger, flight and defense.

 

“But I can control everything about you. That’s why I could make you do those cartwheels earlier, Natasha. And Steve, that’s why you could bring yourself to hit me like I was an enemy.” She explained.

 

“Could you convince someone to kill another?” Bruce asked. Tay’s eyes averted from everyone’s and she looked into her empty glass.

 

“Yes.” She sighed and looked out the window. “I can change someone’s will so they want to kill a person, whether it be themselves or someone else.”

 

“Have you?” Natasha asked.

 

“Nat-” Clint protested when he saw that Tay was a bit uncomfortable and depressed.

 

“Uhm, no it’s fine, Clint.” Her eyes shimmered with unshed tears and she smiled sadly in an effort to cheer herself up and assure him that she was okay. Steve resisted the urge to reach out and comfort her. “And yes, I have.”

 

“Who?” Natasha pressed.

 

“I’ve been known to keep my temper and emotions in check so my powers don’t hurt anyone. I didn’t mean to hurt him.” She sniffed delicately and a single tear wound its way down her pale cheek. “It was 1839 and I was in love with a human. He knew what I was and he didn’t care; in fact, I think I fascinated him even more because I wasn’t human.

 

“One night, I came home and I found him screwing my handmaid.” She let the tears flow down and she wiped them away. Tay frowned as she continued to remember that night. “I was so incredibly angry, more than I had been in decades since then. I stalked over to them and killed her in a fit of rage. Then I yelled at him, ‘You worthless piece of shit. I wish you to die and burn like you would in hell.”

 

She paused and crossed her legs. “Not a moment later was my wish granted and he poured gasoline on himself and lit himself on fire. He took down the entire house with him.”

 

She let out a shaky breath and said to Natasha, “Well, you wanted to know.”

 

She got up on shaky legs and she walked out of the kitchen without another word.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter Six:

Tay had just a sports bra and leggings on as she ran on the treadmill. Her pace was ten miles per hour and she had been running for the past two hours. Music blasted in her ears as she closed her eyes and just let herself lose her mind in the exercise. It had been a while since she had seen everyone. And a while since she had told them about what she had done.

 

She furrowed her eyebrows together as she turned up the speed on the treadmill to twelve miles per hour and she ran faster and faster. She pumped her arms by her side and turned up the music. Tay lost herself for a while until she felt a tap on her shoulder. She looked to her side and saw Steve with a soft smile.She returned it and stopped the treadmill. She took out her earbuds and waited for her breath to slow down to a normal pace before she greeted timidly and softly, “Hi.”

 

“Hey.” He replied in an amused voice. “Want to box?”

 

“Yea, sure.” She smiled at him, relieved that he understood that she wasn’t up to talking about what she revealed earlier. "So is this what you like to do in your free time?"

 

"Yea this nice. Usually I'm helping SHIELD or just out exploring the world."

 

"What have you thought about the most since you woke up?" Steve paused in thought and looked at her, trying to figure out what to say. "Sorry, am I being too nosy? I didn't mean-"

 

"No it's alright. No one's ever asked me that before." Her eyebrows went up and Steve thought it amusing that she seemed to express every emotion with her eyebrows. "I think I miss the simplicity of it all."

 

"The forties were nice. I still have yet to find a restaurant that sells milkshakes like the ones I used to have." She said and he smiled widely. "Especially at that price."

 

"That's definitely true." He noticed that she couldn't quite figure out how to wrap her hands and he smiled. He gestured for her hands and she held them out sheepishly. "There's also the technology."

 

"Oh god I can't even imagine. It probably doesn't help that you live with Stark."

 

"He's been trying to teach me but I just can't bring myself to understand it."

 

"Maybe you just need a better teacher." Tay suggested with a small shrug and she looked up into his eyes. They were so close and she looked away at the brief moment of intimacy they shared. Steve dropped her hands gently after he wrapped them and he stood behind the bag with a smile.

 

"What do you do in your free time?" Tay started to swing as she thought about it.

 

"I used to be a nurse at the hospital and I sang at a coffee shop as an extra side thing. Oh and I also model." She said with a satisfied nod and left out that she was also a mother. Her heart panged for her daughter, who was hopefully across the ocean and settled into her new safe home.

 

"The hospital?"

 

"Yea I loved it there. I would have been a doctor there but I didn't have the flexible schedule to do so." She paused as she swung again and she reminded herself that Steve wasn't as strong as she was. "I became a nurse because I wanted to help people as penance for what I've done."

 

"I think that one time-"

 

"It wasn't just one time Steve." She sighed and she motioned for them to switch. He looked hesitant but he switched anyway. "I had a couple of bouts with my monster over my lifespan."

 

"I killed my best friend."

 

The shock of his confession threw her off guard as he threw the first punch and as he did, she let go of the tension that she was holding against the bag and she flew back into the weight rack behind her. She landed with a crash and she winced. Steve rushed over and helped her up. "Tay I'm so sorry." 

 

"I'm fine Steve really. See? Nothing's broken." She smiled and waved her arms around to show him. "Really Steve. I'm good."

 

"I'm not so sure." He pointed to a bruise already starting to appear on her shoulder and she looked at it in the mirror and shrugged.

 

"Don't worry. It'll heal." She seemed pretty nonchalant about her injury so Steve let it go this time. “So… your best friend?”

 

“We were on a mission and there was a hole in the train because the train door came unhinged.” Steve punctuated every fifth word with a solid punch. The impact of it all shuddered through her. “Bucky was hanging on to the edge of a cord and I couldn’t reach him and he let go. He fell to his death.”

 

“Steve, that’s horrible. I’m so sorry.” She said with genuine empathy and he knew that she probably experienced death more than anyone he would ever know put together. “What was he like?”

 

Steve threw a couple of more punches before he said, “He was my best friend. He was always trying to get me go on double dates with him. I was a scrawny, sick kid before I joined the military.”

 

“It’s kind of hard to picture the Steve Rogers standing before me scrawny and sick.” She said with a light laugh. Steve laughed at her surprise and swung again before he motioned for them to switch.

 

“Yea, I would get into fights maybe on a daily basis. Usually I would lose.” He said it with a sort of fondness and she smiled.

 

“I know what you mean by simplicity.” She said with a sad smile. “But it’s not just simplicity I want.”

 

“What do you want?” Steve asked, his blue eyes watching her hit the bag with a sort of ferocity that he usually only saw in agents and assassins.

 

“My humanity.”

 

~~

 

That night Tay tossed and turned in her bed, uncomfortable in her dream. Silent tears streamed down her face and she shivered occasionally. She kicked out and tried to wake herself up. She pushed against her consciousness again and again. She whimpered then bolted upright, suddenly wide awake. Tay’s heart pounded with heavy, but quick thuds at a rapid pace and she let out a deep breath, unaware that she had been holding it.

 

She slipped out of her bed and ran her fingers through her hair, unwilling to go back to her bed and her nightmare. Tay drew in a ragged breath and calmed her erratic heart. She stood up and walked out of her room. She closed it quietly behind her and walked up to the main area. Walking into the living room, she saw the TV but she didn’t find that appealing so she went outside to the Tower’s balcony which overlooked the city at remarkable height. She looked down and at her city then sighed in the cool night air. It was still dark out so she sat down on the ground and watched the night life.

 

A few hours later the sun had come up and Tay was still on the balcony. She heard a few people waking up and she decided to go back and make breakfast again. She walked back slowly into the Tower and she sighed with a heavy heart. She missed her daughter. Oh, how she longed to have Mickey in her arms again. She wondered for a brief moment what it would be like to have her stay in the Tower with everyone but Tay quickly dismissed the idea. No. It was best for her daughter's safety to remain far away from SHIELD.

She opened the door and stepped in, walking straight to the kitchen and making breakfast. She remembered flashes of her nightmare and she shuddered. "Something wrong, Tay?"

She looked over her shoulder to see Natasha studying her. Tay smiled but shook her head. “No, it’s nothing.”

 

Natasha didn’t say anything and Tay felt a bit uncomfortable under stare. “You talked about people you needed to protect?”

 

“Why?” Tay’s entire body stiffened and Steve walked in as she started to tense. He felt the tension between Natasha and Tay and he was about to ask what they were talking about when Natasha spoke again.

 

“Whoever you’re protecting would be safe either here or SHIELD HQ.”

 

“Until you start doing tests.” Natasha started to say something else but Tay cut her off. “Natasha, I’m not bringing… that person until I deem it a safe environment for… them.”

 

Tay breathed in deeply after a heated argument with the agent. Natasha unfortunately didn’t get much from it except for that Tay clearly loved this person. She got up and left. Steve watched Tay for a moment as she reeled in her temper and he laid a hand on her shoulder. She turned around to Steve and smiled. She whispered, “Hi.”

 

Are you alright?”

 

“Yea, I’m fine. Thanks, Steve.” She rubbed his arm then her eyes widened. “Geez, workout much?”

 

She squeezed his biceps and he laughed at her amusement. Tay quickly withdrew her hand and blushed. He watched with fascination at her beauty and she met his eyes. He looked away and she blushed even more. “Woah, what am I interrupting?”

 

Tay resisted the urge to roll her eyes and she glanced over to Tony. “I’m just making breakfast.”

 

“Is that all?” He said with a nod of his head between Steve and Tay and raised his eyebrows suggestively. Instead of a comeback, Tay just blushed and turned around to flip the pancakes. Steve poured himself a glass of orange juice. Tony found it extremely amusing that these two were obviously attracted to each other but each wouldn’t say anything; he decided to have some fun with the two.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter Seven:

 

Dr. Banner was down in the lab, asleep on his work when Tay knocked on the lab doors. He jolted awake and looked over to see a slightly blurry woman. He squinted and adjusted his glasses. Oh, it was Tay. He smiled and waved her in; she slid apart the doors and walked into the lab. “Hello, Dr. Banner.”

 

“Bruce.” He relieved her of the tray and he smiled at the amount of food on it. “Thank you.”

 

“Yea, of course.” She looked around the lab in fascination and in awe. “This is amazing. Is this an electrophoresis machine?”

 

She skipped over to the machine and looked on with fascination. “You know what it is?”

 

“I was a geneticist from 2005 to 2008.” She said with a casual air to her comment. “There’s nothing I haven’t really done.”

 

“Rocket scientist?”

 

“2009.”

 

“Physicist?”

 

“1997.”

 

“Politician?”

 

“Governor in 2001 for the good ol’e state of Colorado.”

 

“Lawyer?”

 

“From 1945 to 1980.” She replied as she looked around at the machines. “I don’t think that I’ve ever been a spy though. Although maybe I could consider crossing that off the list now.”

 

Bruce smiled, although he was a bit unhinged at her otherworldliness. “So what can I help you with, Tay?”

 

“I was told to come down here for testing?”

 

“Really? I mean, I’m not that kind of doctor.”

 

“That’s what I said!” She shook her head and looked around. “Well do you have any needles? I’m supposed to be giving blood.”

 

“You’re welcome to look around. I think there’s just a bunch of scientific machines, not so much human sciences though.”

 

“JARVIS, does Tony have any needles in the lab?”

 

“No, he does not, Miss Athans.” She sighed and looked around for a knife.

 

“What about a scalpel or knife or other pointy object?”

 

“There’s a knife in the drawer on your left. Second to the top.” JARVIS replied and she thanked him and flipped it around in her hand.

 

“What are you going to do with the knife?”

 

“Don’t worry Bruce.” She said and she calmed him down with her voice and he visibly relaxed. She turned around and dragged the knife across her wrist just as Steve and Tony came down for Steve’s lesson in technology.

 

“What the fuck is wrong with you?” Tony grabbed her wrist and tried to staunch the blood flow but she took her wrist out of his weak grip.

 

“I’m giving SHIELD a blood sample. Calm down.” She rolled her eyes and looked down. Crap, it had closed up again. “Look what you did! Now, I have to do it again.”

 

Before they could argue, Tay had the knife in her hand again and she dragged it across her wrist again. She grabbed the vial she brought down with Bruce’s food and let the blood drip into the tube. Steve couldn’t help but be amazed by her apparent lack of pain. She seemed completely relaxed.

 

The cut closed up and she sighed then held the vial up. “See? All done. And look, the cut is all healed and there’s not even a scar.”

 

Steve’s heart calmed down a bit when he realized that she really was fine. “You can’t do that again, Tay.”

 

“Because you love her?” Tony said. Bruce, Steve, and Tay whipped their heads around to look at him, with a surprised and angry look to their expressions. He just kept calm and played with a couple of things on the table. “What? I don’t see why you two can’t just admit you like each other and go at it.”

 

Tay opened her mouth to say something but then closed it. Steve and Tay’s faces were flushed with a pink tint to their ears and cheeks, and Tony couldn't help but laugh at them. "I don't love her, Stark."

 

"We're just friends and we just met so don't start planning the wedding yet." She just rolled with the joke and she didn't take it too seriously. Tay quickly glanced at Steve and smiled. "So why did you guys come down?"

 

"I'm going to try and teach him how to use a toaster."

"They had toasters way back when, Stark." Steve said, exasperated.

 

"Yea, they were invented in 1893.” Tay said and she held her hand up for a high five and Steve gave her one. She smiled and laughed and once again all the men were in a daze from its magic. Her cell phone buzzed and she looked down and saw that it was the number from the safe house. Her smile instantly disappeared and Steve wondered what made her mood change so drastically. “Uh, you’ll have to excuse me.”

 

She didn’t wait for anyone’s reply and she ran out and as she left, the guys heard her yell, “What’s wrong? Is she hurt?” Tony raised his eyebrow and pulled around a screen then told JARVIS, “JARVIS, pull up everything on Teles Athans.”

 

“Yes, sir.” Steve was appalled and he tried to protest but Tony didn’t hear any of it, or if he did, he ignored him. Not a minute later did Tony have everything that ever existed about Tay. There wasn’t much, to be honest. Nothing that would suggest that she’s been living for the past two thousand years.

 

“Is this all?” Bruce asked as he inched closer.

 

“Yes. There’s nothing else.” JARVIS replied.

 

“That’s weird. She was at the hospital about… six months ago.” Tony said. “Didn’t she say that she healed quickly? What would she need to go to the hospital for? JARVIS pull up Bellevue hospital."

 

Another tab slid into view and, although Steve disapproved of checking up on Tay like this, he couldn't help but be curious himself. Tony swiped things too quickly for Steve's eyes to follow but after a second Steve realized Tony had paused. Steve read that she had been in the maternity ward. Tay was a mother.

 

The guys had been stunned into silence and Tay chose that moment to return. "Hey Tony, can I ask... What? Why are you staring at me like I just killed a cute bunny?"

 

"Who's Mikayla?" Tay's entire body stiffened and she stormed over to where Tony had pulled up her records.

 

"Crap I forgot to erase those." Tay slid her phone into her back pocket and sighed. "Mikayla's my daughter. And she's in trouble. My idiot friends got caught doing something and they can't take of her. Can she stay here?"

 

Tay, while although furious, was hopeful. Steve was the first to say something. "Of course. Do you want me to accompany you?"

 

"Are you willing to swim the English Channel?" For a moment Steve looked hesitant and she laughed, trying to ease the tension that both she and the guys felt. "No I'm only joking Steve. I'm going to fly out in... An hour. Private flight. You're welcome to accompany me as is either of you."

 

"I get uneasy in planes." Bruce said with an uneasy grin and Tay couldn't help but deduce it was because of the Other Guy.

 

"I'm going to stay here with the big guy." Tony clapped a hand on Bruce's shoulder and Bruce just half grimaced, half smiled, obviously uneasy at the prospect of spending unchaperoned time with the eccentric billionaire.

 

"You know I can calm the other guy, if you want?" Tay offered but Bruce still shook his head.

 

"I'm not going to push my luck." Tay nodded her head and turned to Steve.

 

"Do you need to do anything before we leave?"

 

"Yea just give me twenty and I'll be ready." Steve led her out to the upper floors and as they left, Tony couldn't help but tease them.

 

"Am I going to have to supervise you two? No sex on the plane!" Tony called out and Tay and Steve blushed to the shade of tomatoes; Tony knew it would be a easy task, making them embarrassed.

 

Tay and Steve fell into a comfortable silence then Steve interrupted it with an apology. "I'm sorry if Tony's making you feel uncomfortable."

 

"Steve I'm fine. I'm not bothered by it much." She paused and glanced at him sideways. "Are you?"

 

"At first I was. Tony took me out and some of the clothes the women were wearing..." He trailed off and she laughed.

 

"I know what you mean. Some were wearing next to nothing, right?" He nodded and swallowed as if the idea of women's fashion today scared him. "Well if you apologized for Stark, I feel as though I should apologize for women today. My most sincere apologies sir."

 

She said it in a perfect English accent and he laughed at her apology. "So Mickey is in Cambridge and I have to meet Kate and Leo there."

 

When she glanced at Steve, she realized that he had no clue who these people were so she clarified. "Mickey is my nickname for Mikayla. And I sired Kate and Leo fifty and eighty years ago, respectively. We've been friends ever since. I would trust them with my life."

 

~~

 

“Landing in five.” The pilot stated and Tay turned to Steve with a smile on her face.

 

“So what’s Mickey like?” Steve and Tay had talking during a majority of the trip, mostly about life before the twenty first century. Steve had been enchanted more than once when she laughed at his jokes and his stories.

 

Tay’s face lit up with a wide and happy smile and she happily gushed, “She’s an angel. She has these adorable dimples on her cheeks and big blue eyes. She loves her stuffed bear and she can’t stand it when I try to give her a cold formula.”

 

“She sounds perfect.” Steve said and he smiled at her enthusiasm and love for her daughter. He shifted back into his seat as he felt the plane start to decline.

 

“She is.” Tay said with a proud sigh. “I love her. She just has this magnetism as a baby and it’s hard not to be mesmerized by it. Do you like children, Steve?”

 

Her gray eyes stared back at him, probing him to answer honestly. He looked down at the magazine he was folding in his lap and replied, “I don’t think I’ve had enough interaction with them to form an honest opinion.”

 

“Well, I’m sure you’ll love Mickey. She’s no trouble at all.” Tay smiled reassuringly at him and laid her hand on top of his comfortingly. Steve had to wonder if it was just Tay or the fact that she was a siren that made him feel so relaxed and at ease when he was with her. “What?”

 

“I’m sorry?” Steve asked, slightly confused.

 

“You were staring. Do I have something on my face?” Tay realized that he must have zoned out while she was talking about Mickey. “Oh, am I boring you because I’m talking about Mickey? I’m sorry-”

 

“No, no, it’s not that at all. I was just thinking and got lost in my thoughts.” He lied, trying not to let her know that he had been awestruck by her charisma and her beauty.

 

“Oh, okay.” She quietly said and he couldn’t help but think that she sounded like a child accepting something that his or her parent told the child. Steve was only starting to discover all of her personalities and habits and he seemed to quite enjoy the journey.

 

Not moments later did the plane land and Steve grimaced at the impact noise the plane made and he couldn’t help but think about his own crash. He squinted his eyes shut and Tay looked over then she hesitantly held his hand. He opened his eyes slightly and she rubbed her thumb in comforting circles on the back of his hand. Once the pilot and air crew deemed it okay for the two to move about and get their stuff, Tay stood up and stretched her lean body. Steve stood up, all six feet of him, unfolded before Tay’s eyes and she couldn’t help but ogle Steve for a brief moment and appreciate the beauty of his incredibly fit physique.

 

She looked away with a slight blush on her face as she realized what she was doing; Steve walked around the open space and snuck a glance at Tay, who was beautifully blushing. He quickly looked away when she started to turn to him. "Hey Steve. We don't have to bring anything with us. It's a private airplane so no one will question us. Are you ready?"

 

"Uh yea." Steve said simply and she smiled, excited at the prospect of seeing her daughter again. He couldn't help but be temporarily mesmerized by her beauty. "So where are we headed?"

 

"Cambridge University." She said with a sly smile. She led him out onto the Tarmac and she smiled in the sun. She took a quick glance around but whispered in an awe and question,"Kai?" 

 

Steve watched her jog over to a man and she jumped into his arms. He felt a flare of jealousy rip through him and he forced himself to slow his pace to a casual pace. The mystery man spun Tay around in his arms and she laughed as he did so. Steve was a bit dazed again but the other man didn't seem to be. Tay and the man were talking quickly back and forth in a language that Steve didn't know; he awkwardly stepped up behind Tay and waited for her to realize that he didn't know who this person was. Because of their proximity and closeness and obvious love for each other Steve would guess that this was Mickey's father.

 

He coughed and Tay turned around with a slightly abashed but extremely jubilant grin on her face. Her eyes were shining and he smiled back. "Steve! This is Kai. Kai, this is my new friend Steve Rogers."

 

"It's nice to meet you."

 

"Same to you." Kai had a strong Irish accent and a wedding band. "Tay tells me you work for the government?"

 

"It's complicated."

 

"Everything always is with you humans."

 

"Please, Kai. Like we're any different."

 

"Wait, are you guys...?" Steve trailed off, waving a hand between the two of them, realizing that they seemed similar in their presence and physical appearance: brown hair, gray eyes, and tall stature.

 

"Yea this is my older brother." She said with an elbow to Kai's stomach. He just laughed and slapped her upside the head. The sound that the impact made resonated in Steve and he was amazed at the power they both possessed. "He's one of the few who have decided to spend eternity with me."

 

"It's been great though. How's the little monster?"

 

"Kate and Leo got in trouble with the Donizettis so now I have to both bail them out and get my daughter out of there before something bad happens. God, those idiots are more trouble than they’re worth.” Tay said, laughing and rolling her eyes at her friends.

 

“The Donizettis though? Well, as long as they’re not the Mikaelsons.” Kai said with a sigh and a frown. “Are you on your way to pick her up now?”

 

Tay nodded her head but Steve spoke up, feeling a bit left out. “Yea, we’re going over to Cambridge University.”

 

“Want to join us?” Tay asked.

 

“Yea, I have to meet my niece. All I’ve got are pictures. Let me find Victoria and we’ll get going.” Kai nodded and a second later he was gone- he had run away with that annoying superspeed that he has.

 

“Do you mind if they come along, Steve?” Tay asked, her eyebrows scrunched up slightly as she turned to ask him.

 

“No, not at all. Is Victoria his wife?”

 

“Yea, she’s a vampire too. They met in France in… I wanna say 1689? Sometime around then. She’s really sweet.” Tay said with a smile and Steve nodded his head. “Let me know if you’re uneasy at any time.”

 

“Why would I be uneasy?”

 

“Well, not to be obvious Steve, but you’ll be surrounded by at least five vampires.” She said with a slight laugh. “I mean, I guess I’m happy that you forget that we are dangerous to all of humanity, but you shouldn’t forget. We are deadly.”

 

“Only if you want to be though, right?” Suddenly Steve’s guard was back up.

 

“Not all the time-” Tay bent over and she groaned, holding her stomach. Steve reached out and his touch instantly soothed her. An intense pain started in her stomach and she groaned again. She tried to remember from what the pain was originating, but nothing stood out to her. She stood up as she closed her eyes and fought off a wave of nausea. She pushed through it and straightened and smiled. “Okay, I’m better.”

 

“What happened?” Kai was back with a small woman tucked into his side. He looked at Steve as though he had something to do with Tay’s pain but Steve was innocent.

 

“Nothing, I’m fine.”

 

“If you say so.” Kai said with a slight frown and Victoria smiled at Steve. “Tori, this is Steve Rogers. Steve, this is my wife Victoria.”

 

“It’s a pleasure, monsieur.” While although Victoria had an Irish accent like her husband, she addressed him with the perfect French accent. Steve’s mind reeled from the gross amount of accents.

 

“And you, mademoiselle.” His fake accent was incredibly more worse than hers and she gave a slight smile.

 

“Well, shall we then?” Tay said with a smile. Everybody nodded their agreement and they went off to get Tay’s angel.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter Eight:

 

Tay happily chatted with her brother while Victoria and Steve talked, although not as enthusiastically as Tay. Steve couldn’t help but cast glances at her every so often and Victoria didn’t miss it; she narrowed her eyes and studied him a bit. It was obvious to anyone who spent anytime with Steve and Tay that they couldn’t keep their eyes off each other and Victoria and Kai, being the epitome of an old couple, signaled this to each other with their eyes and their eyes alone.

 

The group walked into the campus and Tay extended her hearing and heard her daughter’s quiet sleeping snores. She was nearly about to run faster than a bullet to her daughter but Kai held her back. “Tay, you can’t just run off like that. You have to think first.”

 

“I think that I’ve been away from my newborn daughter for over a week and you’re keeping me from her.”

 

“You need to think first.” Kai repeated as he looked down at her and into her eyes. Victoria shook her head minutely as Steve was about to step forward and intervene. Kai backed down when he heard Steve’s heartbeat race a bit and he glanced away from Tay but then returned his gaze to her. “This university has thousands of smart people who would be more than willing to experiment on us and who would want to cut us open again, like in-”

 

“Yea, I get it.” She said stiffly. “I don’t need need a trip down memory lane.”

 

She started walking briskly and Steve caught up with her. “Where is she?”

 

“I don’t know. I’m just listening.” She said but all of the tension and anger in her voice had completely disappeared and now she was nonchalant about finding her daughter, although her brisk pace suggested otherwise.

 

“Donizettis? Mikaelsons?” He asked with a slight glance around them to make sure none of the students were listening.

 

Tay looked up at him and she frowned a bit. “The Donizettis are a bunch of arrogant vampires that think they can just mark their territory and say that no one can drink there. Apparently, my friends were idiotic enough to do so when they were careless, despite the fact that I’m trying to get them to switch to bags. Anyway the punishment is death so now I have to both get my daughter out of this godforsaken territory and negotiate for my friends’ lives.”

 

There was a lot Steve didn't quite comprehend about what Tay just explained but he just asked, “And the Mikaelsons?”

 

“They’re the Original Family of Vampires, obviously that’s not true because that would be our family, but they’re a bit screwed up.” She laughed a bit and smiled to herself. “God, they’re absolutely crazy. I got involved romantically with one of them, Kol, awhile back, and boy was that family ever crazy. They had a murderous father who kept trying to kill his children because they were so called abominations and a mother who also tried to kill them for that exact same reason even though the reason that the kids are vampires is because their parents ‘created’ the vampire spell.”

 

“Is it all that different from yours?”

 

“Well, yes and no. I can talk more about feuding families with you later Steve. I think I just lost them.”

 

“No, we’re right here.” Kate said with a sheepish grin as she poked Tay on the shoulder and she immediately handed Mickey over to her mother.

 

“Oh my god. I’ve missed you lovebug.” Tay brought her daughter into her arms and she smiled in delight then kissed her daughter’s forehead. Steve couldn’t help but grin at the sight of the two together at last and he glanced over at Leonardo who was studying Steve quite carefully. “Have these idiots been taking good care of you?”

 

“Hey, I resent that question.” Leonardo joked. “It was just five people-”

 

“Five?!” Tay stared at her two friends, astonished at their actions. “Are you serious? I might just have to barter- Gods, never mind.”

 

“What’s wrong?” Steve asked.

 

“Oh, I’m sorry, I haven’t introduced you yet. Leo and Kate, this is Steve Rogers. Steve, these are Leonardo and Kate.” Steve shook hands with them both and when he shook Kate’s hand she gasped.

 

“I recognize you. You’re human though, how are you still alive?” Kate rushed out in a blur and before Steve had a chance to reply, she went on to say, “Well, you’re still great shape, your muscles aren’t in a state of acute muscular dystrophy. You’re definitely human, I can tell by both the somewhat lost look in your eyes and your blood-”

 

“Kate, you’re confusing the poor man.” Leo said quietly. He reached over and put a hand on her shoulder as a sibling would do. “I’m sorry about her. She tends to just say whatever comes to her mind and doesn't understand how to stop.”

 

“Hey, don’t apologize for me. I’m just amazed that he can still look like this after about seventy years or so since I last saw him.”

 

“When did you last see him?” Tay asked with a curious expression. Mickey was in her arms and she looked every part the wonderful mother that Steve had no doubt that she was, and Kate replied with a flurry of words.

 

“Oh gosh. Must have been in the military when you were doing that stint as Captain America the clown. I always thought that you looked like the most uncomfortable human being in that show. And not only did I see you, but I was one of the dancers for a while then I met Tay.”

 

“That’s why you sounded familiar!” Tay exclaimed.

 

“What? I’m so confused. Someone please catch me up.” Kai said with a slight frown.

 

“I don’t think you’re the only one Kai.” Leo whispered to him as he watched with fascination at the conversation between Kate, Steve, and Tay.

 

“Well, I was a lawyer in the forties and I took a brief break to help in the war efforts and I was a nurse stationed with Steve. Gods, you really were the most uncomfortable human.” Tay laughed and it had Steve dazed for a moment before he replied.

 

“The uniform they gave me was skintight and I was in front of a bunch of men trying to convince them to buy bonds. It’s harder than it looks.” Everyone laughed at their own vivid imagination and the image it conjured up and Steve shook his head. “I’d like to see everyone try.”

 

“I don’t think I can rock a spandex uniform.” Leo said with a grin.

 

“Please, before you do so, let me clean up your previous mess.” She rolled her eyes and she shook her head but she was smiling to let them know she was only teasing. Tay looked down at her daughter and she said, “Ready to go home, bug?”

 

Mickey yawned in response and reached for her mother’s hand. Tay’s hand reached out and she smiled. Kate stood up straight and said, “Oh, I have her carrier. Just a second.”

 

Kate sped away and Kai shook his head in disapproval. Victoria took his hand and he looked down at her with a love that was rare for most; Steve felt a bit envious of their bond and love they shared and he looked at Tay with her daughter in her arms. He walked a bit closer to the pair and he smiled down at Mickey. He reached out then Mickey took her other arm that wasn’t holding her mother’s hand and wrapped her fingers around Steve’s finger. A wide grin spread across his face and he leaned in closer. Tay watched the two and she looked at Mickey then at Steve and she smiled at the pure unadulterated joy that was apparent on his face.

 

Kai and Victoria shared a knowing look and they seemed to say that Steve and Tay were right for each other. Leo frowned slightly as he thought that Steve was an unnecessary influence in Tay’s life. Kate came back and grinned at the sight of her best friend with Steve hovering over Tay and her daughter in her arms. She hurriedly snapped a picture of the two but then she decided to burst the moment when she said, “Hey, I’m back with the carrier.”

 

Steve took a step away from Tay and Mickey to let Tay strap her daughter into the carrier. Steve went to pick it up and Tay let him. “Are you sure?”

 

“Yea, it’s no problem.” He replied happily with a smile. “Back to the Tower?”

 

Tay opened her mouth to answer but Leo cut in with a caustic tone and said, “Are you sure that’s what’s best for Mickey?”

 

“Maybe not.” Tay bit her lip and looked indecisive.”

 

“She’ll be protected by SHIELD’s finest at all times.” Steve added.

 

“And what about SHIELD? What if they want to do tests?”

 

“They won’t-”

 

“You can’t guarantee that, Steve.” Tay said quietly, cutting into their terse argument. “Leo, you’re not wrong but neither is Steve.”

 

She frowned and looked down at her daughter who was looking back with a smile on her face. “We can take her.”

 

Kai spoke up with a look to his wife who nodded her head enthusiastically. Victoria agreed immediately, “Yea, she’ll be with us.”

 

“We’ll take care of her while you get resituated in New York and get things calmed down with the Donizettis and these two delinquents will go on the run for a while.” Kai said with an affirmative nod. Steve recognized a leader and he knew Kai had been a great one in the past. Tay bit her lip again, thinking about the prospect of leaving her daughter again. It wasn’t something that she wanted to do but she knew it was right for her daughter and her safety.

 

“Fine. I’ll leave her again.”

 

“Don’t think about it that way-” Kate tried to comfort Tay but she shoved Kate’s hand away.

 

“Just take her away before I change my mind.” Steve handed Mickey’s carrier over reluctantly and not a moment after Kai’s hand wrapped around the handle, did the Irish couple disappear into thin air. Tay let a tear silently escape as she realized the curse would befall Mickey as well. “Leo and Kate, you need to disappear. Go somewhere and don’t tell me where you’re going.”

 

Tay’s voice cracked and Steve, unthinkingly, took her hand as a sort of comfort. She just sadly smiled and Leo and Kate disappeared not a moment later. “We should go home, Steve.”

 

~~

 

Tay was on the plane, disappointed as hell that she couldn’t have her daughter with her because of the long life she lives. Mickey didn’t deserve to be traded around from trusted guardian to trusted guardian like some sort of burden. “Tay?”

 

Steve spoke up and waved a hand in front of her face as he stood in front of her, his eyebrows scrunched and his eyes staring back at her. "Oh sorry. What's up?"

 

"I asked if you needed anything to drink."

 

"No but thank you."

 

"Okay." Steve nodded and sat down next to her and smiled at her. "Mind telling me about that vampire history now? It might help to get your mind off things. I know talking and keeping active sometimes help."

 

"Experience?" She asked and he nodded so she decided to tell him because there was no harm otherwise. "The Donizettis are actually a result of me and I'll tell you why but maybe I do need a drink. Just a second Steve."

 

Steve watched her leave and he watched the sway of her hips before he looked down at his hands in his lap. She came back with a glass of water and a glass of lemonade. He was a bit surprised that she didn't come back with anything stronger. "Okay I think I'm ready."

 

"Sounds great." He said and he adjusted himself to be closer to her.

 

She paused for a moment to gather her thoughts and take a sip of her lemonade. "Well let's see. The Donizettis' family history probably starts with me. It was Italy, in maybe 1834, when I met Adriano. He was a charming man and I fell in love quickly. Eventually I entrusted him with my secret and he wanted to be a vampire so that we could be together forever. I regretfully turned him a few years after his incessant want to be a monster. I shouldn't have though. I should have just compelled him to forget and move on with my life but I was in love and foolish.

 

“When I turned him, he became a despicable vampire. He ran away soon after I turned him and he made himself a clan of vampires called the Donizettis. But because they were very secretive as to who the members were, I didn't kill all of them and they continue to thrive. Of course it has occurred to me that I could kill all of them and get names from everyone but nature has a balance and now the clan is part of it. However I've requested that I be allowed supreme power and that didn't go over well so I just compelled all of them to believe that I'm their sort of ruler."

 

"Then how come their rule is still that feeding is punishable by death?"

 

"I'm the regent, sort of, but I'm not about to change their ways. Plus, often they don't catch vampires because there aren't too many of us but my lucky friends fed on one of the wives of the clan so there's that. Now I have to deal with that and I'm sure I'll have to barter for something." She rolled her eyes and Steve was concerned about her.

 

"What do you think you'll have to barter?"

 

"I'm not sure yet. Usually they have someone sick and I'll heal them or something like that." Tay took another sip of her lemonade.

 

"Are they dangerous?" Steve asked her and he was growing more concerned as they continued to talk about it.

 

She bit her lip, trying to think of how to respond to the question. "Well they are a clan of vampires that have been around for a couple of hundred years but I can be pretty badass so I'm not too concerned. Plus, I'm faster, stronger, and more powerful than them."

 

Steve wasn't sure about the entire thing but he was definitely sure that he wasn't going to allow Tay to go Italy alone. "Do you have a plan?"

 

"I'll probably go to Italy next week and find one of my siblings to tag along. Maybe Kai. He has a way with words."

 

Steve decided not to press her safety yet and he asked, "What other siblings do you have?"

 

"I have three other brothers and a younger sister.” She paused and asked, “Do you have any siblings, Steve?”

 

“No, I was an only child. Bucky was probably the closest thing I had to family after my parents died.”

 

“Oh, I’m sorry.” She held his hand and she smiled sadly. “What were they like?”

 

“They were Irish immigrants and my dad was an alcoholic who died when I was a child. My mom died of pneumonia after I graduated high school.”

 

“But what were they like?” She insisted. Steve looked at her with a slight of shock on his face. He started to open up a bit and talk more about his life and she laughed at his stories and his mother’s reactions. Steve admitted he hadn’t been to visit their graves yet and she nodded her head as though she understood. “Maybe I’ll take you.”

 

“That sounds kind of depressing.”

 

“When you live for two thousand years, death becomes a frequent character in the game of life.”

 

“That sounded really philosophical.”

 

“Thank you. Aristotle said it to me.”

 

“Oh.” Steve’s eyebrows shot up in surprise and she couldn’t help but laugh at his expression.

 

“I’m sorry, Steve. I didn’t mean to laugh.” Tay stopped and bit her lip to keep from laughing but she couldn’t stop the grin from spreading across her face. He laughed at her expression and the flight attendants gave them odd looks, silently judging them, so Tay convinced them to just turn around and leave them alone.

 

Once Steve and Tay landed in New York, Tony had a car sent there and Tay's eyebrows shot up in surprise. "Oh wow. I didn't think Tony was going to send a car so I called for my own to be here."

 

Steve saw her gesture to the other sleek black model in the airport and he frowned but offered, "I can take Tony's car back if you want to take yours."

 

"Oh, are you sure?" She didn't want to leave him and to an outsider, it would be painfully obvious that they both didn't want to leave each other's presence, even though it had been just a couple of days since they met. Steve nodded reluctantly and she sighed, "Well, okay. I need to stop by a friend's house but I'll see you at Tony's then."

 

"Alright. Bye, Tay." He waved to her and got into the car with the car and driver Tony sent. Tay watched him pull out before she walked over to her car and drove out towards Maria's house.


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter Nine:

 

Tay drummed her fingers on the steering wheel as she waited for the New York traffic to move so she can go Maria's and get some blood. Her stomach turned over again and Tay felt sick. She laid her head down for a moment to regain her equilibrium but then the light turned green and somebody honked at her. She growled and sped off, weaving in and out of traffic, because she was a bit thirsty. She pulled into the spot and she hopped out. Tay knocked on the door and heard María wheeling herself to the door.

 

“Hola!” María exclaimed when she opened the door with a big smile on her face.

 

“Hola María! Cómo estás?” Tay greeted as she stepped into the room.

 

“Estoy bien. Conocí a alguien ayer y me dijeron que te conocían.”

 

“En serio?” Tay said with her eyebrows raised in surprise and suspicion. “¿Cuál era el nombre de la persona?”

 

“Lamia.” María said with a backwards glance at Tay as they walked towards the basement where the blood was stored. She missed the way Tay’s back immediately stiffened, the slight smile on her face disappear, and her hands clench into fists; however, María did notice that Tay’s footsteps stopped. “¿Qué te pasa, Griega?”

 

Tay didn’t hear her question and she felt like she was in a daze. Her head felt like it was going to explode from the way it immediately started to pound and her mind felt like it had slowed down to a halt. María wheeled over and repeated Tay’s name but she didn’t say anything back again. María gently pushed Tay, who gently brought her gaze down to her. María noticed that Tay’s focus wasn’t really there and her eyes were glazed over like she was miles away in her thoughts. “Tay? ¿Qué te pasa?”

 

“Lamia era alguien que yo creía había muerto hacía tiempo. Lo siento.” Tay said slowly like she was having trouble with words and forming coherent sentences. “Creo que me voy a poner mucho más sangre de lo que suelo hacer, María.”

 

“Si, es bueno.” María nodded her head and gestured towards the door and Tay nodded her head then rushed down to grab three grocery bags of blood, filled to the top. “Desea que esta cantidad de sangre?”

 

“Sí. Mañana podría volar a Italia y visitar a un viejo ... novio.” She said with a bit of hesitation and she sighed.

 

“Oh. Bueno ¿dónde está mi niña hermosa que me prometiste la última vez?” María asked with a sly smile.

 

Tay smiled softly for a moment before she carefully replied, “Ella está con mi hermano por el momento.”

 

“Ah, la próxima vez en cuando.”

 

“Sí. Nos vemos la próxima vez sin embargo. Tengo que volver a mis amigos.” Tay hugged her friend goodbye and smiled. She left the apartment with the grocery bags in her arms and she cast a glance around the street to make sure no one was following her.

 

Lamia.

 

Tay shivered in the street at the very thought of her name. She quickly walked into her car and she ducked her head down before she placed the grocery bags into the passenger seat. She quickly peeled out of the neighborhood and drove back to Stark Tower.

 

~~

 

Initially Tay had planned to enter Stark Tower silently but apparently JARVIS had a habit of announcing who was in the elevator. She grimaced as she walked out of the elevator and she heard, "Miss Athans is home."

 

Steve heard JARVIS announce her arrival and he looked up to see her carrying three different grocery bags. He immediately got up and walked over to her to relieve her of the bags. She shook her head but he took two anyway. "Oh Steve-"

 

"Uh..." Steve had taken a look inside and realized that he was carrying two bags chock-full of blood bags. His face paled a bit and he looked at her with a cautious glance. She quickly grabbed the grocery bags back and he realized she had disappeared for a moment to put away the bag she previously had in her arms. She ran off and before he could blink, she was back with a sheepish look.

 

“I can erase your memory of that sight, if you’d like. I know it’s pretty disgusting to witness, especially if you aren’t ready to look at it.” Tay offered and Steve slowly shook his head.

 

“No, but I would like to know what you plan to do with all those bags.”

 

“Oh, well, usually I don’t get that much but-” Tay paused before she revealed something that she didn’t want to share. “Uh, I just didn’t know when I’d be back to pick up more.”

 

Steve nodded his head and Tony walked in with Clint behind him. “See, I told you. These lovebirds are always talking.”

 

Tay blushed a bit and Steve definitely regained the color and then some back in his face. Clint and Tony snickered at the pair's blushing faces and Clint added, "You're right, Tony. Definitely attracted to each other."

 

“Do you think they’re talking about themselves?” Tay stage-whispered behind her hand as she reached up on tip toe to Steve’s ear. He grinned and she laughed a bit. Steve nodded his head and Tony rolled his eyes. “So what are Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum up to?”

 

Tay gestured to the two of them to clarify about whom she was talking. “We were going to hit up some clubs. You game?”

 

Clint asked and he raised an eyebrow, half- expecting both of them to say no. Tay spoke first, “Sounds like fun. Didn’t know you were guys were into the club scene but it’ll be fun. Are you coming, Steve?”

 

Steve shook his head and replied, “I don’t think I’ll be going this time.”

 

“No surprise, old man.” Tony said with a clap on Steve’s shoulder. He turned to Tay and said, “Pepper’s upstairs getting ready if you wanna join her.”

 

“Who’s Pepper?”

 

“She’s my assistant.”

 

“They’re dating.” Clint added and she nodded.

 

“Oh, okay. I’ll go find her then. I’ll see you guys in an hour-ish then.” She waved goodbye to the guys and she walked towards the elevator to take it up a flight to where everyone’s rooms were and she hummed to herself as she waited for it. As Tay waited, she could hear Tony and Clint tease Steve and she rolled her eyes. Poor Steve. She couldn’t help but be a bit disappointed that he wouldn’t be going with them but it’d be nice to hang out with everyone else too. Maybe she’d even run into Natasha. She hadn’t seen her in a while.

 

At this point, Tay was just wandering around aimlessly and she heard Pepper’s heartbeat a few doors down so she walked over and knocked on the door. “Uh, Pepper?”

 

“Yea, come on in.” She yelled and Tay walked in with a small smile.

 

“Hi, I’m Tay.” She gave a small wave and Pepper nodded her head.

 

“Yea, I think I might have seen some of your modeling pictures. I already picked out a dress for you.” Pepper waved her in and shook her hand as she said, “I’m Pepper Potts, by the way.”

 

“It’s nice to meet you and uh, wow. Uh thank you.” Tay was surprised at this and she wondered how long Tony had been planning to go to the club. At first he seemed to be the type to always be in the club with beautiful women on his arm. “How long has Tony had this around?”

 

“I just bought it this morning.” She said with a smile and Tay nodded in approval as she took a look at the black mesh dress. It would definitely fit in when she was there.

 

“It’s so… see through.”

 

Pepper laughed as she realized how ironic and funny that sounded coming from both a model and a two thousand year old vampire. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to laugh. It’s just you sound so much like Steve.”

 

“Oh really?”

 

“Yea, he’s coming tonight too, right?”

 

“No, he’s not coming.” She paused and asked, “Does he usually?”

 

Pepper looked a bit crestfallen that Steve wasn’t coming but it was gone as quickly as it came and Tay couldn’t help but think that something was a bit off. “Oh, no. I mean Tony took him out before, but I personally think Tony overdid things.”

 

Pepper grimaced and Tay laughed at her expression. “Okay. Well, I am going to find some shoes-”

 

“Oh, don’t bother. I already picked some out.” Pepper pulled out a box and opened the lid to reveal a pair of blood red stilettos. “JARVIS measured you when you first arrived at the Tower so it wasn’t too hard to find anything that would go well with the dress.”

 

“Thank you, Pepper. Let me get my wallet so I can pay-”

 

Before Tay could even finish, Pepper was shaking her head. “No, no, no. Tony said this one was on him.”

 

“Oh, wow. Then thanks again.” Tay said, a bit surprised at Tony’s graciousness. “Well, then I’m just going to change into this. You’re coming too right? I don’t really want to be stuck with all of those boys.”

 

“Definitely. I need some time off.” Pepper said with a laugh. “Before you come out, just knock first ‘cause I’ll be changing in here.”

 

Tay quickly agreed and she grabbed the dress and the shoes then ducked into the bathroom. It was a fairly large bathroom so she hung up her dress and laid her shoes on the lip of the bathtub. She shook her head as she glanced at the dress in the mirror. She quickly striped down to her underwear and unzipped the dress. When Tay looked back into the full length mirror she realized that she couldn’t wear her bra or her underwear because they were exposed in the dress. She frowned and took her undergarments off then checked herself out in the mirror.

 

I almost look like a hooker. Tay thought to herself then thought, Oh, wait. I know what would complete the image.

 

Tay sat down on the covered toilet and she slid off her socks and shoes to slip on the heels. She stood up and felt like a newborn deer but damn did she feel tall, so maybe more like an awkward giraffe. After she folded her clothes together, Tay knocked on the door to let Pepper know that she was done. “Yea, I’m decent. Let me see the dress!”

 

Tay walked out, with a slightly uncomfortable smile on her face. The asymmetrical slit of the already short dress revealed more thigh than she thought and the mesh long sleeves didn’t help much because they were pulled down so that her entire collarbone was revealed. There was a single band to cover Tay’s chest but everything else was skintight to her body.

 

“How do I look?” Tay asked with a smile.

 

Pepper’s mouth was open and she nodded her head. “You look amazing. I mean of course you do! You’re a model.”

 

“You look amazing too, by the way. That color looks amazing on you.” Tay said as she looked at Pepper’s maroon dress. Pepper waved off her compliment as she circled Tay with an approving series of nods.

 

“Want me to do your hair?” Tay shook her head.

 

“I think I’m just going to braid it. Do you want me to help you with yours?”

 

“No, it’s going to stay like this.” Pepper gestured to her perfect bun at the nape of her neck. “Okay, are you ready to make some jaws drop?”

 

“As ready as I’ll ever be when I walk down the stairs with next to nothing on.” Tay smoothed down the front of her dress nervously but she remembered, “Do you have any seamless underwear? My current pair gives me underwear lines.”

 

Pepper nodded and tossed her a VERY lacy thong. Tay blushed but slipped into the bathroom and slipped it on; she nodded in approval as she checked out her reflection then walked out with a bit more confidence. Pepper smiled as she tucked her clutch under her arm and said, “Come on, sexy. Let’s make them eat out their hearts.”

 

Meanwhile, downstairs was a relaxed and teasing environment as Tony and Clint poked fun of the Captain. Bruce just watched on with a slightly disapproving yet slightly amused expression. “Come on, Steve. You don’t want to get drunk with us?”

 

“I can’t get drunk.”

 

“Then you can be designated driver, Cap.”

 

“Oh, Pep just said they’ll be down in five.” Tony announced and he tucked his phone away. “I’ll never understand women and why they take ten hours to get ready when we’re ready in ten minutes, max.”

 

Clint just shrugged as a way to say “Women, what can you do?” and Bruce just sipped his bourbon, but he asked, “You sure you don’t want to join us, Steve?”

 

“Yea, I don’t think…” He trailed off when he heard the soft click of heels on tile. He turned around and what he saw took his breath away. Tay stood there with an extremely revealing dress and high heels. She smiled at the guys gathered around Tony’s bar and waved as they all checked her out. Steve thought the dress made her look amazing: her braid framed her face perfectly, her legs looked like they went on for miles and miles, her curves were on display because of the mesh cutouts. In that instant, Steve changed his mind- he couldn’t let anyone else be within a five foot radius of her.

 

“Damn, sexy.” Tony said and it brought Steve’s attention back to the present.

 

“Is it too much? It’s too much, I think I’m going to change-” She turned around to leave but Pepper, who was standing behind Tay, shook her head and turned Tay back around when at the same time Steve spoke up.

 

“You look stunning.” Steve said in an awestruck voice. “Maybe I will go with you.”

 

Steve and Tay missed the knowing looks exchanged by their friends and they smiled at each other, each excited that they would spend more time together. Steve offered his arm and she took it gladly as she leaned in slightly with a delight grin that slowly spread across her face.

 

“Let’s go drink the night away!”


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter Ten:

 

Tay kept pulling at the hem of the 'dress' as they all drove to the club. Natasha, Pepper, and Bruce were in a separate car while Tony, Steve, Clint, Thor, and Tay were all piled into another. Tony drove but he smirked as he looked over to Thor in the seat next to him. "Ever been to a club, Point Break?"

 

"No I have not. What will it be like?"

 

"It'll be great." Tony said with a slight smirk and Tay rolled her eyes because it made Thor a bit uneasy.

 

"Really Tony? Don't worry, Thor. It's not so bad. Do you like dancing?"

 

"I don't think he'll be doing much dancing." Clint said with a grin which implied that he meant twerking and grinding, and Tay laughed a bit before she assured Thor.

 

"No worries. If you don't, then I'll be happy to teach you."

 

"What about you Capsicle?" Tony asked with a grin. Steve resisted the urge to smack the smirk off Tony's face but Tony continued to taunt. "Know anyone you wanna dance with?"

 

Tay's big gray eyes glanced over at him but in that moment he could tell that she was interested in his reply. "I have to find the right partner."

 

~~

 

The doors opened wide to let Tay in and she smiled in thanks to the bouncers. Steve watched with a slightly ashamed glance down her body then glanced away almost as quickly. He couldn't keep his eyes off her and Tay glanced back at him and smiled when she caught his eyes. She walked over to the bar and leaned across the table. "Hey bartender."

 

The cute guy behind the bar turned around and smiled at Tay. "What can I get for you, sweetheart?"

 

Tay sweetly smiled back but she wasn't interested in the tall, dark, and handsome bartender. No she wanted the muscular, blond, sexy as hell soldier standing uncomfortably with Thor and Clint. "Gin and tonic."

 

"Just a second." She nodded her head and felt a hand wrap around her waist. Tay resisted the urge to slap the person but she turned around slowly and saw Tony there with a smile.

 

"Hey. Vodka." Tony ordered and turned to an uncomfortable Tay, who inched out of Tony's grip. "So wanna dance?"

 

"Why don't you ask Pepper?" Steve said with a tight jaw. Tony took his hands off Tay who looked more than relieved.

 

"Your gin and tonic. And your vodka." The bartender winked at Tay and she just turned her back on him to talk to Steve.

 

"I thought you couldn't get drunk."

 

"Not really. But it does keep up appearances." Tay took a big gulp of the drink and twisted her lips into a grimace at the taste of the drink. "Why aren't you drinking?"

 

"Can't get drunk."

 

"Doesn't mean you can't appreciate alcohol and what it does to people." She took another big gulp of her drink as she studied Steve. "Plus, just because you drink doesn't mean you have to get drunk."

 

"Okay you've convinced me." Steve put his hands up as if to say 'surrender' and he smiled then ordered a beer. Tay watched him grab the glass and she smiled.

 

She raised her glass and said, "To new beginnings."

 

"To new beginnings," echoed Steve and they took a sip of their drinks. Tay knocked back the rest of her drink and smiled then it slowly shifted into something mischievous. "What?"

 

"Speaking of new beginnings, want to try your hand at dancing?" She pointed behind her and Steve peered over her shoulder at the mosh pit of sweaty bodies then he vehemently shook his head in a definitive no. She laughed at his reaction but grabbed his hand and pulled him onto the very edge of the floor. “Are you sure?”

 

“Definitely.” She shrugged and disappeared into the crowd of people and Steve went back to the bar then ordered another drink.

 

Tay felt a tap on her shoulder and saw Natasha, Clint, and Tony with smiles on their faces and drinks in their hands. “Hey, Barbie!”

 

She just smiled at Clint’s greeting and she waved to Natasha who was in a skin tight red dress. “Hey guys! You look great Natasha!”

 

“Thanks.” Natasha replied as she shot back her drink with a big gulp. Tay nodded her head to the pulsing beat and started to sway her body and sing to the music. She started dancing with a bunch of people she didn’t know and was happy and smiling. Steve frowned as he walked over to where Bruce was sipping a glass of whiskey.

 

"What's with the frown Steve?" Bruce asked as he took another sip.

 

Steve hesitated before he answered carefully, "It's just a big difference. Not all bad though."

 

Tay heard Steve's lie and she looked over to where he was standing with Bruce and Thor. She watched with narrow eyes as they soon became surrounded by a gaggle of women and she directed her attention to where Tony was dancing with Pepper drunkenly. "I'll be back. I need a drink."

 

Tay ducked and weaved in and out of the mob gracefully as she landed near the bar. She gestured for the bartender and he came over with a grin. "Back for more?"

 

"Yea it's a bar. Vodka." Tay said curtly. He didn't seem to get the hint and he winked at her as he prepared her drink. He handed it to her and she grabbed it then swallowed it in one gulp. She relished in the burn that it caused going down her throat.Tay put the glass back onto the counter and requested, "Another."

 

The bartender seemed surprised but he poured another. He handed her and watched her warily. She drank about half the glass then walked away. She heard him call something out but she just knocked the rest of her drink back before she made her way over to Steve, Bruce, and Thor. She listened and she heard one the girls whisper into Steve's ear, "Do you want to go somewhere quieter?"

 

She laughed a bit to herself at Steve's obvious discomfort and his red tipped ears. Tay decided to save him and she walked over to the guys, laid her arms on the table, and leaned forward. "Hey guys."

 

"Hello Tay." Thor boomed in his deep voice. She smiled at him and the girl on his arm looked at her enviously.

 

"Hey Bruce. Hi Steve." She smiled widely at the two of them then moved a bit closer to Steve. She noticed Clint, Tony, Natasha, and Pepper walk to their table. The girl hanging onto Steve moved closer and tried to get his attention back but she was overpowered by Tay's conversation with him. Tay turned to the girl and compelled her. "So I know you were hoping to talk more to him but I'm afraid he's unavailable."

 

Tay leaned in closer and laid a hand on Steve's shoulder. The girl, compelled, walked away without a second glance. Tony and Clint whooped and cheered while Pepper and Natasha just smiled to each other. After the girl sulked off, Natasha said, “I bet that would come in handy when you want to know if someone’s lying.”

 

“Yea, but it’s a bit draining.” Tay said with a shrug. “Everything has its limits.”

 

Later that evening, everybody stumbled into the apartment and Tony passed out on the floor as soon as he stepped out of the elevator. Tay laughed to herself and Steve caught the noise and he smiled at the sight of Tony face down on the ground. She just shook her head and picked up with ease. “Gods, he’s a lot heavier than he looks.”

 

“I can take him-”

 

“I got it, Steve but thanks. I think Pepper is about to pass out though.” Tay said softly with nod towards a sleepy Pepper. He smiled and went to pick her up.

 

“Come on ma’am. Let’s go up to your room.” He said as he hefted her into his arms. He followed Tay into the stairs with Pepper and Tony in their arms.

 

“I feel like a parent carrying a child. A heavy, grown child granted but nevertheless.” Steve laughed and Pepper shifted in his arms. “Did you enjoy it?”

 

“For the most part yes.” Tay smiled and got out before Steve. She looked around and wondered for a moment where Tony’s room was but instead of asking Steve, she asked aloud, “Hey, JARVIS? Where is Tony’s room?”

 

“End of the hall on your left, Miss Athans.”

 

“Thank you.” She nodded and walked down the hall with such ease it was like she had nothing in her hands. Her heels clicked on the floor and Steve admired her long toned legs. He thoughts drifted off and he didn’t hear her question. “Steve? Are you alright?”

 

“Uh, yes, I’m fine.” He felt a bit embarrassed that he had been caught checking her out but he just followed behind her when he realized that she didn’t linger on it too long.

 

“I asked if you wanted to put Pepper in bed next to him. I’m sure she wouldn’t mind.” Steve nodded and Tay walked to the other side of the bed and put Tony down. Steve laid Pepper down beside him and she curled up into the sheets. “I feel like we shouldn’t leave them in these clothes, but I’m not super eager to undress either of them. JARVIS, are you able to?”

 

“No, miss, I’m not.” Tay sighed and she shifted her weight to her other foot.

 

“Well, I guess I can use my super speed. Do you wanna check on everybody else, Steve? You don’t have to stay here.”

 

“Yea, that sounds great.” He hurriedly left and she chuckled at his eager escape. Tay bit her lip and brushed her hair back. She whipped around the pair and put Tony into a wifebeater and sweatpants while she put Pepper into a big tee shirt and leggings.

 

She whispered, “Sorry for the invasion of privacy.”

 

She sped downstairs and saw Clint passed out on the couch and Natasha draped over the couch. Steve looked over to her and smiled. “Want to drop these two off too?”

 

“Sure, why not? Where did Bruce go?”

 

“He didn’t drink nearly as much,” Steve replied as he picked up Natasha. “I think he made it to his room.”

 

“Oh okay. I’ll check on him before I go to bed.” Tay picked up Clint and winced. “Gods, at least I don’t have to pick up Thor.”

 

Tay disappeared and she came back not a second later. “Need a hand, Steve?”

 

He laughed at her impatience but shook his head. “Why don’t you go check on Bruce?”

 

“Yea sure. Just let me know if you want help.” She waved before she walked away.

 

“Come on Natasha.” Steve said with a sigh. He started walking but Natasha moaned.

 

“I can handle myself Rogers.” She squirmed out of his grasp and she looked around while she held on to Steve and waited for her equilibrium to return. “Where’s everybody?”

 

“Their respective bedrooms. Tay’s checking up on Bruce now.”

 

“Is that safe?” Natasha said with a raised eyebrow. Steve remembered vaguely that she had a run-in with the Hulk and was nearly killed had it not been for Thor.

 

“I think I’m a bit more concerned about you.” Steve held out his arms, ready to catch the swaying assassin.

 

“I’m Russian. I can hold my drinks.” Natasha stumbled her way up to her room and Steve let her go with a sigh. But then he realized that he should check on Tay and Bruce. He walked downstairs and found Tay talking to a sleepy Bruce.

 

“-getting to bed. Sleeping on work won’t help it absorb into your brain. Come on Bruce. Fall asleep.” Tay was compelling him because Steve felt the urge to just curl up and sleep for days on end. He felt his eyes drift close but he snapped them open and focused on Bruce who was passed out in her arms. She helped him up and smiled at the relaxed expression on the usually tense and focused Doctor Banner.

 

“Hey, need a hand?” Tay turned around and smiled when she saw Steve.

 

“If you’re willing.” She stepped aside and looked around the lab. “You know when I was a kid I used to dream of a world where I wasn’t forced to listen to the orders of those who thought themselves superior. When I became a monster-”

 

“Why do you keep calling yourself that?” Steve interrupted as he made his way out of the door with Bruce in his arms.

 

“Because it’s the truth.” She said back, defensive. Tay stood by the counter, looking at the stars in the picture.

 

“I think you’re an angel.”


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter Eleven:

 

Tay was running in the streets of New York; everything looked so damaged and broken. Mickey’s cries echoed throughout the night and Tay spun around, trying to figure out from where the sound was coming. Her heartbeat echoed in her own ears and she couldn't determine where her daughter was and she started to panick. She ran everywhere but her legs wouldn't cooperate and she felt like she was stuck in cement. She grew continually frustrated and she screamed in frustration. "Mickey!"

 

She felt like she was being shaken and Tay's eyes snapped open, wide awake from her nightmare. For a moment they were dazed over, still locked inside the horrible moment. She looked up to see Steve's hands on her shoulders and she breathed in shakily before she nodded. "Hi, Steve."

 

"Are you okay?" He said and he let go of her before he stood with his hands on his hips. She took a deep breath in then nodded her head.

 

"Yea it was just a nightmare." Tay brushed her hair out of her face and sat up after she took another deep breath in. "Sorry if I scared you."

 

"No kidding. You sounded like you were being murdered." She blushed and looked down. "I'm just glad you're alright."

 

"Yea." She whispered back. Tay patted the bed next to her. Steve looked slightly hesitant and she smiled softly. "I don't bite."

 

He laughed and sat down next to her. "Do you want to talk about it?"

 

She bit her lip but she decided to do that anyway. "I was in the streets alone. New York looked like it did right after the alien invasion. I could hear my daughter crying and I tried to get to her but I couldn't. It was like my feet were superglued to the street and her cries just grew louder and louder. I couldn't use my hearing to find her. It was like I was in a glass box and all I could hear was my daughter’s cries.”

 

Tay put her head in her hands and Steve rubbed her back comfortingly. “Hey, it was just a dream.”

 

After Tay paused for a moment, she agreed, “Right. Just a dream.”

 

“Can I get you anything? A glass of water?” Steve offered. She shook her head.

 

"No but thanks Steve." She leaned her head against his shoulder and she looked up and whispered, "Thank you."

 

"Anytime." He quietly promised. He leaned the two of them against the headboard behind them and he wrapped his arm around her shoulders, rubbing his thumb down in comforting circles. Steve couldn't help but think this wasn't at all unnatural or awkward; he glanced down at Tay who was staring off into the distance but feeling his gaze, looked up and smiled slightly when she met his eyes in the darkened bedroom.

 

"Steve?" Tay whispered quietly after a few minutes of silence.

 

"Yeah?" He replied and he looked down.

 

"What were you doing up?"

 

He hesitated before he answered. "I couldn't sleep either. I was awake when I heard you scream." 

 

"Oh." She said simply as she played the edge of the blanket. "Can I ask why?"

 

"I think the doctors at SHIELD said it might be PTSD." Tay thought about it for a while and was about to say something but Steve beat her to it. "Do you usually get a lot of sleep?"

 

"No. Not usually. I never have." She whispered back to him. She looked up at him and curled her fingers into his. "Sometimes I have nightmares. Sometimes I relive days gone past. Sometimes I just dream. The memory ones are the worst."

 

"Why?" Steve adjusted himself into a more comfortable position and Tay automatically adjusted herself to Steve's new angle.

 

"Because I have to relive days I wished were buried." She said. "One of the biggest downfalls to being... What I am, is that I can't forget anything. I remember everything from when I was a baby to today."

 

"That can't be too bad." He paused as he considered. Would he want to never be able to forget the face of his friend Bucky? His mother? Peggy? Dr. Erskine? He frowned and shook his head. "Never mind. It does sound awful."

 

"Maybe. But I don't want you to pity me, Steve.” Tay leaned her head against his chest and closed her eyes. “Sometimes the memories are great.” 

 

“What are they of?” Tay grabbed his hand and drew patterns on the back of Steve’s hand. She was surprised he was so comfortable around her but she attributed it to sleepiness and general concern, not remotely thinking of the thought he might like her or vice versa.

 

“Sometimes it’s of Greece and all its splendor and beauty and war. Even those some are a bit bloody, those are always my favorite. It lets me relive when I was a kid.” Tay smiled despite herself as she thought of the warm Grecian sand beneath her feet and the bluest ocean on which she’d ever laid eyes. The ocean was similar to that of the Steve’s eyes. She continued to talk despite the slight blush. “I wish I could go back a lot.”

 

“Me too.”

 

“Why couldn’t you sleep, Steve?” Steve tensed a bit and Tay looked behind her and her big gray eyes stared into his blue ones. She turned her body into him and scrunched up her eyebrows, looking like a puppy dog.

 

“I can see that last day.” She knew immediately to what he was referring: the day he crashed into the ice. “It sometimes comes in flashes and I wake up covered in sweat. I can relive it but I can’t change it.”

 

“What would you change?” She whispered quietly while she played with his hand in her lap. Her hand looked miniscule in his.

 

“I don’t know. Bucky dying. Crashing.”

 

“Can I give you my opinion?” She felt him nod and she sighed quietly, readying a coherent thought. “I like to believe greatly in the philosophy of cause and effect. It isn’t the same thing as the whole ‘everything happens for a reason’ idea but a bit similar. See, I believe that if I went back to change my past, I wouldn’t be having this conversation. I wouldn’t be in Stark Towers. I wouldn’t be under SHIELD monitoring. I wouldn’t have Mickey. But not only would my past and future be changed, so would everyone else’s. I’d like to flatter myself enough to think I’ve made enough of an impact on the world in the past thousands of years to change lives if my own was altered. What I’m saying Steve, is that while although I regret so many things, so many, I wouldn’t change anything.”

 

She didn’t hear him say anything but she felt his breath let out on top of her head. She looked up and smiled. She whispered quietly, “Thank you.”

 

“For what?”

 

“For staying.” Tay snuggled in closer to him and he was surprised at her comfort around him but he smiled a bit and made himself comfortable and closed his eyes.

 

~~

 

Tay woke up with a slight headache. She knew immediately what the cause was and she felt a tear rip through her abdomen. She quietly groaned and someone next to her shifted. Tay looked over and saw Steve fast asleep. It was still a tad dark out so she slipped out of her bed without trying to wake Steve and she hummed a tune quickly to make him stay asleep then she stumbled to the bathroom. She bent over in excruciating pain and she whined softly. Her first thought was that she was lacking blood but something else was causing the stomach pains.

 

“JARVIS?” Tay whispered hoarsely.

 

“Yes?” The voice felt like it was booming in her overly sensitive ears and she winced at the noise and covered her ears.

 

“Please, just a tad quieter.” She said with a sigh. “Are you able to do a scan of my body? I don’t know what’s wrong with me.”

 

A blue light ran up her body then down and disappeared altogether within seconds and she laid herself down on the floor. She laid her head down on the cool tile and sighed as she curled in on herself. "You have a bullet inside of you miss."

 

"Seriously?" She groaned and another wave of pain shot through her and she gasped. Her body was paralyzed as she let the pain wave through her then she uncurled herself and shakily stood up. Tay stumbled and caught herself on the door handle.

 

"Miss Athans, should I get Mr. Rogers?"

 

"No! Don't. I can do this." Tay said quickly in a panic. She walked over to the covered up mini fridge under her desk and grabbed a few blood bags. She sat down and leaned against the wall and sighed quietly. Tay was exhausted just from moving and she slowly opened the bag and sipped the contents. She felt her strength return to her slowly and she quickly swallowed the rest of the contents. She threw that one back into the fridge and downed another and another. Once she felt slightly sluggish from all the blood, she began to crawl back into the bathroom.

 

Tay got on her knees and reached into the drawer for the knife she had hidden earlier. She grasped the handle and sat up while she removed her shirt. Tay sat there with just a sports bra and her pajama bottoms and a knife in her hand. "JARVIS, where is the bullet?"

 

"Next to your kidney on your left. Would you like me to call-" Tay shook her head fervently and told JARVIS not to call as she pictured the sight and she grimaced and looked away before she dug the knife into her stomach. She started panting heavily from the splitting pain and she quickly used her fingers to pull the bullet out. Tay groaned and nearly screamed when she finally grasped the bullet. She started to realize that her skin was starting to close up and she grimaced from the feeling of her skin constricting her wrist with a suctioned sensation. She moved her hand around to make sure the bullet was clear of any other tissue and she screamed when she tugged on it.

 

She found the problem: the bullet was embedded and attached onto her large intestine and the large intestine had healed itself around the bullet. Tay yanked on it and pulled the bullet out with a silent yell. She fell to the floor and her head hit the floor. She passed out as she felt the blood pool around her like a halo.

 

~~

 

Steve woke up and felt cold. He opened his eyes and was disoriented for a moment. Where was he? He sat up and remembered that he had fallen asleep with Tay when he woke her up from her nightmare. He looked around for her but didn't see her. He got out of bed and said, "Tay?"

 

When she didn't answer he assumed that she had already woken up and went to get breakfast. He stood up and walked to the bathroom. When he went to open the door, it wouldn't open all the way. "What..."

 

He opened it as far as he could and slowly poked his head through the opening. What Steve saw would shock him beyond words. He saw her lying down face first with her entire body covered in blood. Steve squeezed through the door and rolled her over to see that her entire body was drenched in blood without a cut on her. "Tay! Tay wake up!"

 

Steve's hands were covered in her blood. They shook and trembled. He reached for her neck and tried to feel for a pulse but in his panic he couldn't feel anything, too unfocused and frantic. For a moment he was torn; he wanted to get Banner but he didn't want to leave her. Something glinted in the corner of his eye and he saw the bullet shell. He picked it up and studied it for a moment before he realized that must've had something to do with her current condition so he got up and ran out of her room in a daze.

 

"Dr. Banner! I need your help!" Steve's panicked voice rang out through the empty, quiet halls. He was running down the corridor when he heard someone open their door.

 

"Cap, now's not the time to yell-" Clint started to say but Steve's panicked face caused him to fade off. "What's wrong?"

 

"Tay. I found her. Come here." Steve led a sleepy and hungover Clint and Natasha to Tay's room. He had them come into the bathroom and the sigh shocked them sober. For a moment everything paused then the two assassins looked to each other and silently communicated within seconds. Suddenly Natasha was running out of the room and Clint was picking Tay up in his arms. "Hey are you sure that's a good idea?"

 

Clint carefully and slowly guided an unconscious Tay out of the bathroom and said over his shoulder to Steve, "Yea. She'll be fine. Don't worry. We're taking her to SHIELD HQ."

 

Steve followed behind closely as Natasha came back with a phone to her ear and Bruce on her arm. "Do you think-"

 

"Well I'm not this kind of doctor but I can see what's wrong-" Tay's groan signaled that she was gaining consciousness and Bruce frantically said, "Put her down so we can look over her."

 

"Steve." Natasha said sharply, indicating that she had been repeating his name for a while and trying to get his attention. “She’ll be fine. SHIELD doctor are the best. They’ll take care of her.”

 

“Steve.” Tay groaned out. Her eyes were half- open and she was smiling slightly. Steve knelt down beside her head and cupped her cheek.

 

"Hey. How are you?"

 

"I feel sticky." She said with a slight frown.

 

"Is that all Tay?" Clint said as he looked her over.

 

“And lightheaded.”

 

“You lost a lot of blood. We’re taking you to SHIELD HQ to get you checked over.” Natasha said as she tucked the phone into her pocket.

 

Tay frantically shook her head and tried to sit up but Steve gently pushed her back down. “Tay you should rest-”

 

“I’m fine Steve.”

 

“So what happened?” Bruce asked as he leaned a bit farther away.

 

“I was shot with a bullet during the alien invasion and it was embedded into my stomach. It hurt… a lot.” She shook her head and stood up with a groan. Steve held up his hand with the bullet in between his fingers and she nodded. “Yup, that would be the one.”

 

Tay pointed to her perfectly smooth stomach and they noticed no scar or gash present. “See, I heal pretty quickly.”

 

“Then what where did all the blood come from?”

 

She hesitated so Clint encouraged her. “Fine. I had JARVIS run a scan on me to find the bullet then I, uh, stabbed myself and used my fingers to find the bullet. My skin was already starting to close up at that time so I kind of just ripped the bullet out of my stomach and then ripped the skin. That’s why I had all that blood everywhere.”

 

Tay made a face and everyone was slightly paler after she finished. “Gods, that sounded so disgusting.”

 

She shivered in disgust and stood up taller. “So how are you feeling now?”

 

“Thirsty.” She replied honestly.

 

“I’ll get you some water.” Steve jogged off to get a glass before Tay could elaborate that she meant she needed blood.

 

“Uh, thanks for your concern, guys. You probably want to get more sleep. Unless you want me to get rid of your hangovers instead like I did with Tony.”

 

“I forgot you can do that. That’d be great.” Clint said with a relieved smile. Steve came back with a glass of water.

 

“Here you go.” Tay smiled at him in thanks. She sipped the water and sighed in relief.

 

“Oh, gods. Thanks Steve.” She turned to Clint and motioned for him to come closer. He did so slightly warily and she placed her hands on either side of his head then closed her eyes. She hummed softly and Clint’s eyes widened as he watched Tay concentrate. When she was done she let her hands fall to her sides. “All better?”

 

“Definitely.”

 

“Natasha?” Tay asked hesitantly.

 

“I don’t like to be touched.”

 

“I don’t have to touch you. It just takes more effort.” Natasha nodded almost imperceptibly then Tay’s eyes lost focus for a moment as she hacked into Natasha’s very resilient mind. Then the hangover was gone and Tay’s focus returned. “Better?”

 

“Yea.” Natasha turned around and stalked off. Clint just shrugged as an apology then went after her and Tay noticed Bruce had disappeared. She turned to Steve who still looked a bit worried about her.

 

“What’s wrong, Steve?”

 

“You could have died, Tay.” He grew angrier as he paced back and forth. “What were you thinking?”

 

“I clearly wasn’t. All I could think about was the pain it was causing me.” She took his hand and she didn’t use any of her persuasion as she continued, “Steve, it makes me happy that you care for me, but I think I need to remind you I’m not a delicate, china doll.”

 

“I know. That doesn’t mean you can’t get hurt and that I’m not allowed to worry about you.” Tay looked into his eyes and she smiled. She reached slightly on her tip toes to kiss him and Steve was a bit shocked at first but gently kissed her back.

 

Tony walked out of his room and announced, “No sex in the hallways, children.”

 

Tay and Steve jumped apart with embarrassed blushes and Tony smirked then stalked off to pour himself some coffee. The blushing couple just shared a small smile before they parted ways.


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter Twelve:

 

Two days later.

 

Tay stood in the bathroom, hypnotized by the sight of herself in the mirror. Her eyes remained unblinking as thoughts sluggishly made their way to the forefront of her mind. It was unsettling to watch. Slowly but surely did the noise from New York City make its way into her ears and she came to her senses. Tay’s eyes came back into focus and she shook her head as she tried to clear it and she looked at the time. Well, crap. She hurriedly jumped into the shower and rubbed away the feeling of New York dirt on her skin and she sighed as she realized that she had to face the Italians today.

 

“Ms. Athans, Mr. Rogers is waiting for you in the lobby.” JARVIS announced as Tay dried herself off with a towel.

 

“Thank you JARVIS. Can you let him know I’ll be down in ten?”

 

“Of course.” She hurriedly combed her hair then rushed around the room and hurriedly packed her suitcase full of formal wear. She stood there with wet hair and no clothes on as she contemplated what to wear. She knew that Aamir would be greeting her at the tarmac so she pulled out one of the dresses and hurriedly slipped it on as she thought about what was to come.

 

Tay whipped around, finished some last minute things, before she ran downstairs and greeted Steve in the main living area. “Hello.”

 

Steve turned around and he was surprised at her formal wear. He was wearing khakis and a white tee shirt. “Was I supposed to dress formally?”

 

“You can change on the plane. We have lots of time. Are you ready?” Steve had insisted on coming with her to meet the Italians. After some persuasion, she had agreed but hesitantly.

 

“Yea, I’m ready.”

 

“Are you sure you don’t need us?” Clint asked as he ate an orange. He raised his eyebrows as he waved around the knife with which he peeled the orange. She smiled at his implications but shook her head in refusal. Natasha and Bruce also sat at the table but paid little attention to what was happening around them, or if they were, they didn’t look like it.

 

“Definitely. Italians are picky when they meet someone and I’m only bringing Steve along because he insisted.”

 

“That’s the only reason?” Tony teased. “No secret honeymoon-”

 

“Okay, ready Tay?” Steve interrupted as he wrapped his arm around her waist and quickly guided her into the elevator. She just laughed as she followed suit and as the elevator doors closed, Steve turned to her and asked, “Why doesn’t it bother you?”

 

“Why does it bother you?” Tay asked back as she looked up at him. “Steve, he only makes the jokes because they bother you so. It’s better not to let them get under your skin. Tony hasn’t ever offended me in a way my brothers or friends have. Bucky didn’t ever tease you?”

 

“It’s not the same.” Steve tensed at the mention of Bucky and she sighed inwardly. Tay leaned her head against his side as they waited for the elevator to finish its descent down. “So do I really have to wear a suit as we arrive?”

 

“Do you mind? They’re pretty big on formality. I instilled that into them a while ago and it’s a tradition I’d like to uphold.” He nodded his head and she smiled. “Thank you. Do we need to go shopping before we leave? Did you bring enough suits with you?”

 

“Yea. I didn’t think vampires would be into the formalities though.” She laughed and shook her head.

 

“That’s okay, Steve.” She looked around as they made their way into the town car that would take them to the tarmac at JFK. “Come on. Let's go before we're late.”

 

“Yes ma'am.”

 

Steve loaded the suitcases into the trunk. “Thank you.”

 

Steve opened the door for her and she smiled then slid in as he followed soon after. “Where to, Mr. Rogers?”

 

"JFK airport, sir." Steve and Tay looked at each other, both with a bit of trepidation in their eyes and they smiled nervously to the other. "So where exactly are we going?"

 

"Rome. Ever been?" She said with raised eyebrows.

 

"Not that I can recall. Have you?"

 

"Yea I lived there a couple of times. I love it there. The food is great, the scenery is breathtaking, and the people are crazy." They laughed at the end and she leaned into him and smiled. "I'm happy you insisted on coming, Steve."

 

"Really? After all that yelling?"

 

"What argument are you remembering? I don't recall any yelling." She with a crooked smile that only could mean she was amused.

 

"Oh right. I'm remembering you, Natasha, Stark, and Clint arguing about the TV." He teased and she pretended to be mad about it.

 

"Hey, I won though! Even though Stark cheated and JARVIS changed the channel. That was so unfair."

 

"It's amazing that someone so old can be infuriated by something so childish." He kissed her forehead and she gently pushed him away.

 

"No kisses for bad boyfriends." She said and he just laughed. It was nice to see Steve out of his rigid, quiet shell and Tay often took advantage of that fact. She quickly reached up with her hand and kissed him full on the lips. To say he was shocked would have been the understatement of the century. He kissed her back after the momentary shock and she pulled back smiling after what felt like minutes kissing Steve.

 

"We're here, Mr. And Mrs. Rogers." Tay and Steve halted as they left the car then they exchanged looks, both confused as to what they both just heard.

 

They both turned around but Tay spoke first as the driver came around with their bags. "Uh I'm sorry, but what did you just address us as?"

 

"Mr and Mrs. Rogers? I'm sorry am I mistaken? Mr. Stark said to address you with those names."

 

Tay rolled her eyes and Steve let out an aggravated sigh at their friend’s joke. Tay spoke gently and reassured the man, "It's just a mistake, sir. It's quite alright. Thank you for driving us."

 

Tay turned around with Steve by her side and the driver replied, "It's been a pleasure, my sweet little siren."

 

Tay stilled and stared at the man and she felt like a cold breeze floated over her. She looked around and searched for Lamia- the only one who called her such a nickname. "Tay, what's wrong?"

 

She was brought back to Steve who was looking at her with concern. Obviously Steve didn’t hear the same thing she did so she waved it off with a slight lie. "Uh nothing I guess. I just thought I heard someone I haven't heard from in a long time."

 

"Okay. We should get going." Steve gently reminded her and he grabbed her hand and entwined their fingers. He rubbed his thumb along the back of her palm and tried to calm her racing heart. "Are you sure you're okay?"

 

"Yea, everything will be great from here on out." She said with a smile and she leaned in closer to Steve, who remained blissfully unaware of what was to come.

 

~~

 

Tay and Steve had half an hour left in their flight and both were a bit nervous. The formal wear, Tay thought, only heightened the effect of the gravity of their visit. Steve had changed into a suit and he kept fiddling with the tie and she noticed that it had come undone. He stood up and paced around the cabin and she watched him with a slight smile on her face, amused by his apparent nervousness. "Steve you're going to wear out my plane's floor with all your pacing."

 

"Wait this is your plane?" His incredulous look amused her even further and she laughed at his expression.

 

"Of course. Traveling with other people in confined places is not at all fun." She said with a smile. Tay patted the chair next to her but he shook his head so she stood up and asked, "What's bothering you Steve?"

 

"What if they're going to hurt you?" She stood in front of him and grabbed his undone tie. Tay wrapped it around his neck loosely then smiled.

 

"Steve, I'm so unbelievably unconcerned for my safety that it isn't funny. I’m more concerned about you.” She deftly flipped and knotted the tie then smiled and patted his chest. “There you go.”

 

“I think I can handle myself.” Tay frowned slightly and he noticed her drop in enthusiasm. “What? Do you think I can’t?”

 

“I didn’t say that but the Italians are unpredictable-”

 

“Which is why I’m coming with you.”

 

“Right.” She kissed his lips quickly, and took his hand in hers then smiled softly. “Thank you, Steve.”

 

“Anytime.” He promised and she smiled as they landed in the airport of vampires.

 

As promised, Aamir, one of the inner circle members, was there to greet them as they stepped out onto the tarmac. He watched the plane land and then waited for them to step out. Tay was the first out, stretching her thin, tall body in a striking blue dress which made her eyes look luminescent. The strapless sweetheart neckline drew into her tiny waist and the long chiffon blew gently in the breeze. Steve followed soon after in a light gray suit and he took a glance around the tarmac before he joined Tay at the bottom of the stairs. He felt the urge to hold her close, despite all the open space and the seemingly empty airport. 

 

Aamir watched them walk towards him and he couldn’t help but think they made a striking couple. He threw his arms open in greeting and brought her close after kissing her left then right cheek. "Ciao bella!" (Hello beautiful!)

 

"Ciao Aamir. Come stai? Questo è Steve Rogers." (Hello Aamir. How are you? This is Steve Rogers.) Tay leaned in closer to Steve who had his arm wrapped around her tiny waist. "Can you speak English so he can be included signore?"

 

"Of course. It's a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Rogers.” Aamir held out his hand but Tay stopped Steve from shaking his hand.

 

“I wouldn’t do that, Steve. Aamir can influence your emotions if you touch him.” Aamir smirked and Tay just rolled her eyes.

 

“But you just did.” Steve argued.

 

“I’ve compelled him not to use it on me. He doesn’t exactly use his gift for good.” Steve nodded his head and looked around while Tay spoke more with Aamir. “So, Aamir, how is your wife, Katia?”

 

“She’s dead. I killed her.” Aamir said it with such causality that it shocked Steve for a moment. Would this be what Tay referred to when she said he abused his talents? Then he wondered if this was the first time and he looked down at Tay, gauging her reaction.

 

“Why?” Tay said with a resigned sigh. She was used to his frequent outbursts of rage.

 

“She was pestering me about turning her. Teodora, don’t give me that look.” Aamir guided them towards the direction of the cars.

 

“Teodora?” Steve whispered into Tay’s ear.

 

“It’s the name the guy I had met gave me and he gave it to me because it means ‘gift from God’ which he found extremely fitting so it stuck ever since.” She whispered back and he nodded then she smiled because even though they had whispered they were surrounded by vampires with super hearing. “So Aamir, shall we stand here all day?”

 

“Would you like a tour of the city?” Aamir asked Steve. He looked down at Tay, unsure of how he should answer so she replied for him.

 

“No thank you.” Tay smiled up at Steve who seemed on edge and constantly scanned the surroundings. She turned back to Aamir with a polite smile on her face, but she thought about Steve’s concerned look. “Aamir, we’ll contact you at a later point to discuss the finer things. We’re tired from the plane to here and would like a moment before we move forward with negotiations and such. Give our regards and apologies to Signore Facinelli.”

 

Tay ushered Steve into the car and Aamir opened the door before Steve could and Tay had Steve go before her. She stood up in between the door and the car and she frowned. “Aamir.”

 

She motioned for him to come closer and he leaned in as she whispered something indecipherable into his ear. Steve frowned when he realized she was deliberately keeping something from him and he was going to ask her about it before they left the airport. Tay sighed and adjusted her dress as she pulled apart then, without a goodbye, got in the car and slammed the door in one swift motion. “Proprio guido poi ti dirò l'indirizzo.” (Just drive then I’ll tell you the address.)

 

Tay took Steve’s hand in hers and she let out a sigh of relief. Thank gods she had stopped Steve from touching Aamir’s hand. “No questions until we get to the hotel, please Steve. We’re still in hearing range and Aamir’s trying to figure us out.”

 

Steve was used to taking orders so he, unfortunately, accepted hers but sighed with resignation as he said, “Alright. But I do have questions, Tay.”

 

“Okay and I’ll answer to the best of my abilities and as truthfully as I’m able. But not here, Steve.” She kissed him quickly then leaned back in her seat. “Did I mention you look amazing in that suit?”

 

“Only maybe once or twice.” He smirked and Tay laughed because it didn’t sound like Steve’s usual humor; maybe Tony was rubbing off on him (what a scary thought). “You look beautiful in that dress.”

 

“I stole it.” She said as a joke and it stunned Steve for a moment and she laughed again. “I’m joking Steve. I bought it a while ago. But thank you.” 

 

She chatted idly with him, occasionally pointing out various sights that she liked. He was surprised at her familiarity with the sights and she pointed out what had changed. Steve was amused by her little comments about how older Rome was more beautiful. He glanced out the window to see the car pull up to a hotel that screamed and oozed grandeur. Tay nodded and gestured to Steve to get out of the car. "Don't worry Steve. This is the right address."

 

The driver set their suitcases on the trolley then waved goodbye as the beautiful couple walked into the hotel. As they crossed the threshold, Tay closed her eyes very briefly and she expeditiously scanned her surroundings to make sure no one meant her or Steve harm. She only detected one vampire and she knew who it was so she wasn't concerned about being killed or threatened during her stay the hotel for the next couple of days. Steve's gentle arm wrapped around her waist nudged her to open her eyes back up as he took in the sight around them. “Wow. It’s… expensive.”

 

“Yea, costs more than a thousand dollars to stay a night.” She said with a nonchalant shrug.

 

“And that’s normal to you?”

 

“Well, I co-own the place so we stay for free.” Tay looked around and wiped a finger on the table to check the dirt amount and she waved to an employee. “Get me Max.”

 

The young man nervously gulped and scurried off into the back office. Tay smiled to Steve who stared back at her in wonder. “There’s so much I don’t know about you.”

 

“I think you know me better than you’d think, Steve. I’m still me.” She kissed him on the cheek and then on the lips. Steve kissed her back wholeheartedly and she blissfully sighed into the kiss. Steve pulled away when he heard someone’s footsteps approach rather rapidly. He held Tay at a distance from the burly man approaching but Tay slipped out of his grasp to run up and hug the approaching man. "Maarku!"

 

The man scooped Tay up and swung her around. Because Steve had seen a similar scene before him he assumed that Maarku was another sibling. "Haven't seen you in forever. What'd you do to come back here? You haven't been here since Kol-"

 

Kol. Steve thought the name sounded familiar but he couldn't remember why. "I'm here with my boyfriend Steve Rogers to negotiate some business with the Donizettis."

 

"What's you do?" Maarku jerked his head at Steve who looked to Tay.

 

"Max, be nice. Steve is innocent and a great guy who came because he was worried for my safety." 

 

"Then he must not know you well enough. You're the most powerful person I've ever met."

 

"That's what I told him. Steve come here." Tay waved him closer and she held his hand in an effort to calm him. "Max this is my boyfriend Steve Rogers. Steve, meet my younger Max."

 

"It's a pleasure, sir." Steve, with his other free hand, shook Max’s and smiled politely. He couldn’t tell much of a physical similarity between Tay and her brother but they definitely had the same authoritative yet relaxed aura to them. 

 

"Well at least he has manners. Your last boyfriend didn't have them." Tay rolled her eyes.

 

"Leo wasn't my boyfriend. He's a friend and actually one of the reasons I'm back."

 

"Come on. We can catch up in your suite. Chris and Pen, come bring their bags to their room." Max called out and wordlessly the employees appeared to do their assigned tasks.

 

"Your table is dirty by the way." Tay smudged her fingers against the table like she did earlier and Steve smiled.

 

"I thought you co-owned the place? Isn't it also yours?" Steve asked as they got into the elevator.

 

"Haha I definitely approve, Teles." Maarku said with a slight laugh.

 

"Hey you guys! Let's not gang up on me." Tay leaned against Steve for a brief second then slipped off her heels and sighed in relief. "Gods I hate heels."

 

"Why do you wear them?" Max asked with a look to Steve that said ‘Women. I don’t understand them’.

 

"Because they make my legs look skinnier and longer and I feel taller in them you cruel bastard." She stuck her tongue out at Maarku and Steve laughed at their relationship. "I'd like to see you walk in these. Both of you."

 

"I think I'll pass." Steve said with another laugh. He was led by the siblings to the room and he couldn't help but think that Tay was amazing in every which way.

 

"Welcome to your suite, sorella." Max opened the double doors with a practiced flourish and Tay curtsied to him with a slight smirk to her lips. Steve went ahead to admire the room. 

 

"Why thank you kind sir." She giggled and walked into the room behind Steve.

 

"Do you like it Steve?" Tay leaned against the doorway, gauging his reaction and she laughed when he turned to her with raised eyebrows and wide eyes. His silence answered her question. "Thanks Max. Let me know if anyone calls Love you."

 

"Love you too." Max saluted Steve on his way out and Steve automatically saluted him back. Tay rolled her neck around and placed her shoes at the entrance of the suite. Steve walked in and studied the room and all of its opulence.

 

“I can ask Max for the keys to the suite next door if you’re not comfortable sleeping in the same bed, Steve.” Her quiet voice disrupted the silence that had spanned before them. Steve turned around and shook his head.

 

“Nah, it’s alright. I’m fine if you are.” He raised an eyebrow at Tay who just nodded her head and blushed slightly. “Then it’s settled.”

 

He paused as he plopped himself down onto the couch and he patted the spot next to him. Tay just shook her head but jumped onto the sofa and laughed as Steve made a noise from the impact of her elbow into his chest. She kissed his cheek in apology then said, “Haha, sorry, Steve.”

 

She leaned into his embrace then adjusted the long skirt that had tangled itself around her legs. “So, what’s the plan?”

 

“I have no idea.”


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter Thirteen:

 

Tay was wide awake in the middle of the night. Because of the time zone shift, Steve and Tay had stayed up for quite some time and Steve had gone to bed not too long ago. A soft breeze whispered over her skin and Tay shivered slightly as she stood on the balcony of the hotel suite. She bit her lip as she thought about tomorrow and all that it held in its hand; she had called Aamir and she discussed plans to meet with the family tomorrow morning at 10. Steve was invited to come and he accepted the invitation before she could decline his presence there. She ran her fingers through her hair as she thought about the best plan to handle the Italians.

 

She could compel everyone but that was too draining. She could compel Steve not to come but he had already confirmed he would be there as well. Tay growled in frustration as thoughts and plans spun around in her head before falling apart so completely. She looked out into the city and sighed, her breath puffing up in a gray cloud before dissipating.

 

She heard Steve’s foot steps quietly approach her and she turned her head around as he wrapped a blanket around her shoulders. “Thank you.”

 

He said nothing as he leaned against the railing and looked down. “What are you worried about?”

 

“Am I that readable?”

 

“To me, you are.” Steve replied and she smiled as she leaned in next to him and laid her head on his shoulder. “So what’s troubling you?”

 

“I don’t know what to do about tomorrow.” Tay let out a frustrated breath and stood up straight, looking out at the city rather than Steve. “I keep thinking of plans but none seem feasible. I have to get this resolved if I want Mickey back. Steve, I haven’t seen my daughter in days and it’s killing me inside. I feel like I’ve abandoned her.”

 

“Tay. You haven’t abandoned her. You’re protecting her.” Steve wrapped an arm around her then suddenly picked her up and carried her back into the room. He carefully placed her on the bed and she reached up and dragged him down with her. He landed with an oomph and she laughed quietly and Steve nudged her. “There. You should be laughing.”

 

“Thanks Steve. I feel like you always know the right thing to say at the right moment.” She curled into his side and kissed his jawline. “Good night Steve.”

 

“Good night Tay.”

 

~~

 

Steve lazily opened his eyes and saw that Tay wasn’t next to him and he panicked for a second before he heard her singing. It was extremely calming and he found himself falling back to sleep but when she stopped he was immediately awake again. He got out of bed and went to find her.

 

Tay heard Steve get up and she poked her head around the corner and smiled at Steve who was stretching his back. He hadn’t noticed her quite yet so she took a moment to admire his physique but quickly schooled her expression into a pleasant smile. “Hey, sleepy.”

 

He kissed her forehead in greeting and she blushed slightly before she kissed him on the lips. Steve checked the time on his watch and announced, “It’s 7:30 now so would you-”

 

He trailed off as Tay came into his view in a beautiful black and white outfit; a white crop top with small slits in the sleeves and an elegant long black skirt that fit her hips perfectly. Her brown hair was “I’ll take that as a stamp of approval, Steve?”

 

“Uhm, yes ma’am.” He ducked his head and quickly disappeared into the kitchen. “Do you want any coffee?”

 

“Ooh, yes please.” She swept into the kitchen and smiled. “So before we have lunch with Aamir, would you like to have breakfast at the best cafe I know in Rome?”

 

“Well, when in Rome…” He said with a smile and she laughed at his play on words with the cliche. “Should we head out now?”

 

“Maybe some proper attire is needed?” She made a gesture to Steve’s sweatpants and he looked down in surprise as he remembered he was still in his sleeping attire. “I’ll be here.”

 

Tay smiled to herself as Steve smiled and went back to change his clothes. She sipped her coffee and poured in a bit more cream as she glimpsed at the television set. She got up and straightened out her suit as she sipped some more coffee and looked out the window. Tay turned her head towards Steve who was coming out of the bedroom, buttoning up his suit jacket. He looked handsome as hell and her heart skipped a beat as she looked him over and ogled. He noticed her stare and cleared his throat. “Uh, are you ready to go?”

 

“Oh, right. Just give me a moment to grab my purse then we’ll be on our way.” She poured the rest of her coffee in the sink and walked back to the bedroom where her purse was then walked to Steve with a brilliant smile. “Okay, ready to have some fun in Rome?”

 

He grinned and held out his hand for her and she happily took it as they walked out to the beautiful capital.

 

~~

 

“Ciao bella!” A man on the street dipped his head and smiled at Tay and Steve’s jaw tightened. He knew that Tay was beautiful, something even a blind man could know, but man, did it ever bother him when men called out to her on the streets. Tay must have noticed his stiff posture because she leaned in a bit closer to him and he looked down at her with a surprised look.

 

“I know it bothers you Steve.” She reached up and kissed him. Steve kissed her back and she tugged him closer to her.

 

A man bumped into her and knocked her a bit out of Steve’s arms. Rather than say ‘excuse me’ he spat, “Puttana a buon mercato.”

 

She stiffened and Tay grabbed Steve’s hand and whisked him away hurriedly. Steve was surprised at her reaction to the man but he knew whatever he had said really upset. “Tay.”

 

She ignored him, or she didn’t hear him, and she kept walking away from him despite the fact that he stood there in the middle of the street, waiting for her to realize he wasn’t by her side. She finally turned around and he saw her face was slightly sad but mostly angry. “What did he just call you?”

 

“It’s nothing. It doesn’t matter, Steve.” Tay quickly said and he crossed his arms, waiting for her to be honest with him. She gave in when she saw his stone hard resolve and she sighed then whispered, “He called me a cheap whore.”

 

Steve immediately turned around and stalked off to find the man and she was surprised at his sudden anger. Tay knew he wasn’t normally hot headed, he left that job for Stark. She ran to keep up with Steve and his long strides and grabbed his hand. “Steve, stop!”

 

Tay stood in front of him and forced him to look down at her. “Look, he’s not worth it. Promise me you’ll get this out of your head.”

 

“No one should talk to a woman like that.”

 

“I know that Steve. But people weren’t raised like you and they obviously don’t have the same moral ideals. Promise me, Steve. Please.” She begged and he let it go but he held her close. Tay relaxed her body, having no idea that she was so tense, and she sighed into his chest. “Thank you.”

 

“So everytime someone-”

 

“Not now.” She checked her phone and realized it was a quarter to ten already. “We should go meet Aamir. It’s almost ten.”

 

“How long will it take to get there?”

 

“Depends. Do you trust me?” Steve nodded his head but he still looked apprehensive. Tay just grinned and grabbed his hand then took off like a bullet. Steve was surprised at the speed at which she ran and, even though he enjoyed it immensely, he closed his eyes to prevent motion sickness because Tay often whipped around corners and jerked him around, although not painfully. When they suddenly stopped, Steve was nearly thrown forward and Tay ran in front of him to stop his oncoming collision with the wall in front of them.

 

“Hey, woah Steve. Are you alright?” Tay bit back her laughter at the super soldier’s obvious upset equilibrium and she bit her lip to keep the laughter from spilling over.

 

“Yea, I’m good.” He looked at her with a look that said he was judging her and he seemed like he wanted to say something. She commented on that and he just said with a wonderstruck tone, “That was just… something else.”

 

“Good or bad?”

 

“Definitely good.” He said with a smile then he kissed her forehead to reassure the slightly worried look on her face. Steve looked over her for a moment and did a double take when he saw the mansion of a place in front of him. “Wow.”

 

Tay turned around to admire the building in front of them and she took his hand. “Steve, please don’t be afraid.”

 

“I’m not.” She expected as much from the super soldier and she resisted the urge to roll her eyes at the natural macho answer he gave her. Tay reached up and plucked a leaf from his shoulder then smiled.

 

“Then what are we waiting for?” She grabbed his hand and walked with him up the long driveway.


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter Fourteen:

 

Tay could feel Steve’s eyes on her as they walked up to Aamir’s grand villa built right into the cliffs and she bit her lip. Steve wrapped an arm around Tay’s waist and she felt comforted by his presence but she couldn’t help but feel as though she was leading him to his death. She didn’t drink enough blood and she couldn’t help but think that she hadn’t done enough to prepare. Well, she hadn’t done much preparing and she looked up at Steve. He seemed so sure and confident and she steeled herself as well. She had to be strong. She had to be strong and tenacious for him and Mickey.

 

Her long black maxi skirt swished with every sway of her hips and it dragged along the leaf covered ground as they walked even more. She felt as though it were a walk of death, not to brunch. Steve and Tay didn’t say a word to each other, both just soaking in the comfort of the other’s presence. As they drew closer and closer to the villa, she started to see the vampires hidden around the complex, often in the shade of the tree or under the house awning. Unconsciously, Tay drew closer to Steve and he glanced down to really study the worry on her face. She had let him think that this was going to be easy, but as they approached the ominous house and her worry grew, he began to think otherwise.

 

Tay reminded herself that it was only brunch and she would have nothing to worry about. As she approached the house, a tall man walked up to the striking couple and smiled. Tay smiled back in greeting and said, "Ciao signore. Is Aamir or Gresh home?"

 

"May I ask who you are?" He bowed and reached for her purse. She gave it up with a reluctant smile.

 

"Teodora and Mr. Rogers."

 

"Of course. They're expecting you out back. May I take your coat sir?"

 

"Yes thank you." Steve shrugged out of the suit jacket and handed it to the tall man. He called himself and grabbed Tay's hand before they followed the tall man behind the house.

 

Multiple vampires came out and bowed to Tay and Steve found it quite odd, as if he were in the presence of royalty. Tay opened her powers up to include all of the thoughts around them to make sure no one was going to do anything and she winced at the onslaught of voices in her head. So far, it was mostly a whirl of wonder but she picked someone out who thought it would be fun sport to harm Steve to provoke her and see what she would do. She stopped and Steve watched her as she tilted her head and closed her eyes as she concentrated.

 

The voices grew concerned and they knew that she was listening. Tay picked the thought out again and turned her head to the left of her, past Steve. She opened her eyes and looked the man in the eyes. She slowly walked forward and Steve stood for a moment, unsure of what he should do, but the tall man didn’t seem surprised at her action.

 

“Come here.” The man seemed confident and arrogant even, but Steve could see a slight waver in his resolve. The man sauntered forward and stood in front of her and bowed his head slightly.

 

“Reggente. È un onore.” (Regent. It’s an honor.) The man said with a slightly humored tone.

 

“Come closer, Marcus Gerardi.” Tay whispered it but because it was so quiet in the villa, even Steve could hear it. She looked daunting- no, she looked immortal and all-powerful. Tay laid a gentle hand on his cheek but there was no warmth in it despite her small smile and the light in her beautiful gray eyes. “If I catch you thinking about him again, in any manner that I should deem inappropriate, I will rip off your legs so you cannot run from me. I will tear off your fingers one by one until only the finger with your ring remains. I will drive a stake so close to your heart, every time you try to breathe, you risk killing yourself. If I catch you…”

 

Her lilting voice gave an eerie and final note and she returned back to Steve with a genuine smile on her face as if she had just told Marcus to enjoy his day and that she enjoyed the beautiful weather. “Shall we gentlemen?”

 

“Of course.” The tall man replied with a slight bow and Steve held her hand and he felt it shaking in his own. Tay studied and watched and listened as they walked out back to where Aamir and Gresh were waiting. They stood as Tay and Steve entered the room and Aamir and Gresh kissed her on both cheeks and shook Steve’s hand.

 

“Was I right to hear you talking to Marcus?” Aamir asked with a wry smile.

 

Tay didn’t answer but looked into her tea cup, noting that it wasn’t tea, but rather blood. “Who did you kill today Gresh?”

 

“Excuse me?” Gresh tried to continue but Tay cut him off.

 

“This blood is fresh. It’s not from a bag and I can smell a rotting, burning body not twenty yards from where we sit.” She gestured to the back of the garden and returned her own wry smile. “But please. Do continue to insult what little intelligence you think I have, signore.”

 

“Your friends.” Aamir announced suddenly with a grim look. “They killed five people, including the wives of one of my family members. They should be here to die.”

 

“Trust me, you don’t want to kill them.” Tay said in her rhythmic tone again and Steve was surprised at her willingness to compel them. She stopped and suddenly Aamir and Gresh’s eyes focused again and lost their haze. “I don’t want to have to compel you, signores. I’m rather fond of you. But I can’t have my friends dead on my watch. So what do you want?”

 

“A quart of blood, you have to turn someone else for us, and you have to kill someone as well.” Aamir stated quickly.

 

“A pint and I compel the wanted person.” Tay fired back.

 

“A quart and you kill the person.” Gresh pushed.

 

“A pint and I kill the person.” She negotiated.

 

“Deal.” Aamir said with a sideways glare at Gresh. “Addison Tanner. She’s in the capital now and she’s been giving us grief over territory. Kill her and bring me her body. You can give us the pint now.”

 

Tay moved to cut her wrist but Aamir shook his head. “No, of his blood.”

 

Steve was surprised at their blunt statement and he shook his head. He spoke up and adamantly said, “Not happening.”

 

“Don’t touch him. We agreed a pint of my blood-”

 

“We agreed on a pint of blood. Not yours.” Gresh said.

 

Tay stood up calmly and Steve rose next to her. “You are not getting Mr. Rogers’ blood and I will not kill that girl for you.”

 

“Then your friends shall die.” Aamir said as he and Gresh stood up as well.

 

Tay took a moment to swallow the entirety of the contents of the tea cup and then smiled at Aamir and Gresh. “If you try to kill them, I will kill your entire clan.”

 

A vampire tried to speed up and grab Steve but Tay caught him by the throat. “I said, not to touch him.”

 

She threw him into the wall, out of the shade and into the sun, and the vampire burst into flames. She reached over the table and grabbed Gresh’s tie. “Stand still and do not move until I say so.”

 

Aamir tried to dash away with Steve but Tay clenched her fingers into his skin and he was stopped and howled in pain. “È cagna! Lasciami andare.” (You bitch! Let me go.)

 

Tay held him up in the air with his feet dangling and he struggled for air as her fingers enclosed over her throat. Rage boiled over her and it was a long time since she felt this much inside of her. Her fingers trembled and shook as she held the pathetic man in her grasp. “I would watch your language around a woman, Aamir. I want you to kill every vampire in your clan. When you are done, you are to come back and burn Gresh and then yourself. Leave your daylight ring with me.”

 

She threw him over the cliff and looked at Gresh who stood there, unmoving but entirely fearful. Tay turned to Steve who looked at her in shock and he grabbed her hand. “Steve, I’m getting you home and please try to forget what you just saw.”

 

“I’m not leaving you here.” She sighed and looked around at the growing clan of vampires who looked like they wanted to flee but stood their ground to protect their home. “What’s the plan, Tay?”

 

“Be prepared to catch me.”

 

“What?” But she wasn’t listening and suddenly every person in the complex was falling to the ground, wailing and clutching their heads. Tay swayed for a moment and her eyes fluttered close as blood dripped down her chin and he caught her as she fainted from exhaustion. He picked her up and jogged quickly out of the villa, leaving behind him a scene of undeniable agony.

 

Steve grabbed Tay’s purse that was on the counter and he struggled to reach inside and get her phone. Thankfully she told him her password and he hurriedly typed it in and dialed Tony. “Hey, can you send a quintjet to Rome? Just do it, Stark.”

 

Steve shook his head and he looked down at the woman in his arms. She was starting to regain consciousness and Steve propped her up against the wall of the back alley he had ducked into. He wasn’t sure where they were because she had run them to the villa so he waited for her to regain consciousness. “Tay. Tay, wake up.”


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter Fifteen:

 

Tay was in her room holding up the skintight uniform that Agent Hill had given her so she'd be protected while interrogating the man. She sighed and stripped and shimmied into the uniform. "Oh gods. What I have gotten myself into?"

 

The uniform was essentially a second skin and she hated it. She'd never worn anything this tight, except for outfit Pepper had given her for the club. Tay sighed and walked out through her bedroom door. She softly closed the door and walked back upstairs. Kai and Tax had suits on now and everyone had turned their heads towards Tay. She felt uncomfortable with everyone's lingering stares and she didn't see an ounce of estrogen in the room besides her daughter in Steve's arms. After a few more seconds of awkward silence she exclaimed, "That's it! I'm changing."

 

"Oh no you're not. We don't have time for that." Tax sped over to her side and grabbed her arm before she could run. "Natasha and Maria are pulling up the quintjet now."

 

She turned back around with a groan and reached for her daughter. Tay balanced her on her hip and smiled down then Tax nearly dragged her outside while everyone watched on with amusement. "Let me go Tax. I'm not going to run away."

 

He let go of her and casually threw an arm around her and whispered in her ear, "Something's bothering you little sister. I'm going to find out."

 

She watched him speed off into the quintjet and she sighed before Steve jogged up behind her. “You look super uncomfortable, if I may say so.”

 

“Yea, I have no idea how Natasha or Maria can walk around so comfortably in this. I feel like I have no clothes on because everything is on display. And how come the zipper won’t move any farther up?” She shivered as Steve walked with her onto the plane. "Sorry, I'm complaining."

 

Steve just gave her an amused smile. She raised an eyebrow but he wouldn't elaborate. Tay and Steve sat together on the quintjet and he took her hand in his. "Twenty minutes out, guys."

 

Tay looked at the pilot seat to find Maria at the helm and Natasha just getting up. Everyone was crowded into the quintjet and she looked out the closing door one last time before it entirely closed. She balanced Mickey in one hand and held Steve's hand in the other. “You two look cozy.”

 

Steve’s ears were a bit pink and he let go of Tay’s hand discreetly, which she had to be both sad and amused. Tay looked up to see Clint smiling at them and she realized that he wasn’t insulting them. “Really? Do you want to hold her?”

 

“Sure.” She stood up and handed her daughter over to him and he held her like a natural. “She’s cute.”

 

“Yea.” Tay whispered and she studied Clint and the way he held her daughter. “You look like a natural.”

 

“Really?”

 

“Don’t drop the baby. Barbie might just take off your head.” Tay rolled her eyes as she looked behind her to see Tony walk over.

 

“Come on, man. Give me a break.” Clint was about to hand Mickey back to Tay but Natasha quickly grabbed the baby and rocked her gently. Tay laughed and Natasha returned it with a smile. Thor and Bruce looked on with amused faces and Steve stood up to stand behind Tay.

 

“She’s so calm.” Natasha said with a quick glance to Tay.

 

“Well, she must like you a lot then.” To agree with her mother, Mickey reached up and tugged on Natasha’s curls as she giggled. “I guess that settles it then.”

 

Tay moved backwards but she bumped into the solid mass of muscle that is Steve Rogers and she jumped away, surprised at the sudden contact. Her twin brother snickered under his breath and she hit him upside the head. “Don’t laugh, Taxiarchai Athans.”

 

“Wow, no need to use the whole name, Teles.”

 

“Really? You two can’t get along for at least the next twenty minutes?” Kai said with a roll of his eyes and a heavy sigh. “You two are always incessantly-”

 

“bickering like a couple of children.” Tax and Tay said with whiny voices as if to imitate their older brother. Everyone listening laughed at the siblings and their argument but Kai wasn’t amused because he crossed his arms and glared down at the two. Tay spoke up first, “Come on Kai, don’t be pouting. Even Tori laughed.”

 

Victoria, Kai’s wife, quickly schooled her expression before her husband turned around and she took his hand. “Kai, I think we’ve had this conversation millions of times-”

 

“And we’ll have it a million more times until they learn to behave themselves. You would think that they’re infants rather than mature adults.” Tay and Tax rolled their eyes simultaneously at their brother’s obvious disdain for their occasional humor.

 

“Don’t you ever tire of lecturing us, Kai? Wait, you don’t because Kalim literally means one who lectures.” Tax replied.

 

“Misnomer as is yours, Taxiarchai.” Steve raised an eyebrow and Tay caught it.

 

“It means archangel, which Tax is anything but.”

 

“Well, yours actually makes bloody sense.” Tax said with a wave of his arms.

 

“No it doesn’t.” She insisted.

 

“Yes, it does.” Tax argued and they went back and forth like a tennis match and Tony asked Kai what it meant.

 

“It means perfect.” Kai said reluctantly. Steve couldn’t resist a smile and apparently neither could Tony. Well Tony didn’t seem to try to resist a smile, let alone the laugh he let out.

 

“Are you serious? Her name means perfect?”

 

“Yes.” Tax replied and he received an elbow to the stomach. “Bloody hell, little sister. Nearly punched my stomach out of my back.”

 

“Oops.” She said innocently. He yanked on her hair and she turned around to slap him when Kai quickly intervened. He laid two hands on her shoulders and steered her around, away from Tax and his teasing nature.

 

“You go over there, Tay.” She sighed and joined Steve and Thor. “Tax, stop messing with your sister.”

 

“Sorry, mom.” He replied sarcastically and he was about to annoy her mentally when Kai laid a hand on his shoulder. “I’m not doing anything! Gods, Kai. So damn controlling.”

 

“Natasha. Ready to give her up?” Tay said with a smile. Wordlessly, Natasha handed Mickey back over and Tay looked down to see that she was sleeping so she sat down and cradled her daughter. Thor stood next to her and he watched the baby as it slept. “Are you alright Thor? You look troubled.”

 

“I’m fine, Teles.”

 

“Call me Tay.”

 

“I prefer Teles.” She shrugged and she noticed his glances to Mickey.

 

“Would you like to hold her Thor?” He looked shocked but he quickly shook his head.

 

“No, I’m afraid I’ll break her.”

 

“You won’t, trust me.” Tay handed Mickey to him and she adjusted his arms so Mickey would be comfortable. “See, perfect. Do you want to still hold her?”

 

“Uh, you can take her back.” She laughed and gently eased Mickey out of Thor’s massive arms and she kissed her sleeping daughter.

 

“Landing in three, two, one.” Maria counted down and the quintjet jolted as it touched the ground. Tay lost her balance and would have fallen over had it not been for Thor right behind her. He caught her and steadied her onto her feet and she sighed a breath of relief because otherwise Mickey would have woken up.

 

“That was close.” Steve had watched her nearly fall and Thor catch her and he felt jealous of their small interaction. He knew it was ridiculous of him to think such a thing, but he felt as if he needed to be closer to her so he walked over and wrapped an arm around her waist. “Hey, Steve.”

 

She reached up and kissed his cheek and he felt rather satisfied with it all. She realized it and she just laughed. Maria let down the mouth of the quintjet and everyone piled out of it. When Tay looked back she didn’t realize how many people they had fit into the relatively small quintjet. There was Bruce, Thor, Tony, Maria, Natasha, Clint, Steve, Kai, Victoria, Tax, Mickey, and herself. Wow.

 

Clint and Natasha disappeared almost as soon as they had set foot on the ground and Bruce and Tony headed towards SHIELD’s labs. That just left, Maria, Steve, Kai, Victoria, Tax, Mickey, and herself. “This way to interrogation rooms.”

 

Tay followed Maria around SHIELD HQ and Maria stopped by a room and knocked on the door. “Agent Karlie, open up.”

 

A blonde head popped out from the door and smiled at Maria. “Hi, come on in, is this her?”

 

Agent Karlie reached for Mickey but Tay pulled back. “Who are you?”

 

“I’ve asked her to watch Mickey while you do your job, Tay.” Tay did a quick mindscan and approved the innocent, naive girl. She reluctantly handed over her daughter into the care of a stranger and sighed.

 

"Make sure no harm comes to her, swear your life on it." The agent swore and Tay nodded her head, satisfied. "Okay then. Let's go drag some secrets out of this man."

 

~~

 

Tay peered into the room and saw a bruised and bloody man sitting at the table, half-conscious. She rolled her eyes; how typical of a spy organization to bloody and torture their suspects. "So just the launch codes?"

 

Tay looked behind her at Fury with his hands behind his back and she raised an eyebrow. "And anything else that's interesting. Just write them down on this and give the paper to Agent Hill."

 

"Okay." She shrugged and walked into the dank room. "Gods it smells in here."

 

"Who's there?" The man lifted his head and she waved at him.

 

"Mister Fyodorov." She says the name with a perfect Russian accent. “Это истинное удовольствие встретиться с вами. Как дела? Я слышал, вы были преступником в последнее время.” (It is a true pleasure to meet you. How are you? I've heard you've been a criminal lately.)

 

“Кто ты?” (Who are you?) Fyodorov spit out and she braced herself for any insults the man was bound to have.

 

“Это не имеет значения.” (It doesn’t matter.) Tay switched over to English for the sake of those listening. “So why does SHIELD have you in their possession?”

 

The man just glared at her through two black and blue eyes. Tay sighed and sat down in the chair across from him. She picked through his brain at the forefront where he was thinking that she was a terrible interrogator. “I’d beg to disagree with you.”

 

“Что?” (What?) He said, confused.

 

“I’m not a terrible interrogator.” She said simply and he was confused but then he became freaked out. “Calm down, I don’t want to hurt you. I just want those launch codes you so impolitely stole.”

 

She looked right at him in the eyes and her eyes starting to shine inhumanely bright. Tay tapped rhythmically on the table and he seemed frozen in place for a moment. “Что ты делаешь?” (What are you doing?)

 

“You’re interrupting me. Don’t, it’s rude.” Tay pushed past through his first barrier and was on his second as he continuously ran the codes through his thoughts so he wouldn’t forget them. She stayed in his thoughts as she moved to write them down.

 

The man put a hand to his forehead as if in pain. He winced and he wondered what that freak in front of him was doing to him. Tay quickly scribbled the notes but her eyes remained bright and she quickly erased the codes in his mind. Finally her eyes dimmed back down to her normal shade of stormy gray. "Thank you for your time."

 

"What are you?" He asked in broken English. She paused and turned to him.

 

"That's for me to know and you to find out."

 

On the other side of the wall, Steve gave a small smile as he remembered her saying that to himself during the alien invasion. He watched her leave and then with sudden trepidation he saw the Russian move and throw something at her. He ran out of the room despite Fury's yells and threw open the door.

 

She was in front of the door with her hand on the handle when Tay had heard the whistle of the object in the air and she turned around and caught it with her speed. She held in her hand a small pocket knife. Suddenly she was knocked on her feet as someone burst into the room. She groaned as her head hit the floor. Something was in her chest, which hurt like hell, and she was lifted up by big hands and she looked up to see Steve with a concerned face. When he turned her around his eyes went wide. "What was that for?"

 

She frowned and felt lightheaded. "We need to get you to the infirmary."

 

"Yea that sounds good. I told you the zipper needed to go up more." She frowned as she looked down at the knife embedded right next to her heart, uncovered by the SHIELD uniform. Steve scooped her up and agilely maneuvered them out of the room. She started to move her other arm to yank out the blade but Steve shook his head.

 

"Don't do it, Tay. I know what you're thinking about." She smiled and let her hand drop to her stomach. "You could end up killing yourself because it's so close to your heart."

 

"Right." She whispered and she felt the skin try to heal around the blade but nothing could be done. Tay felt like she was dying and her eyes wouldn't stay open. "Steve. I feel tired."

 

"Don't close your eyes." He yelled urgently. Tax zipped up behind Steve and sighed as he jogged to keep up with Steve’s human speed. Tay felt her body growing cold, at least that’s what it felt like, and she started to feel numb. Blood was getting everywhere and she coughed weakly. She closed her eyes because she couldn’t keep them open and she was losing blood too quickly for her body to play catch up.

 

“Tay, stay awake.” Her brother said and she forced her eyes open and she gazed at Tax through heavy lidded eyes. “Yes, just concentrate on my voice.”

 

“Hey what-” Tony said as he stepped out of the lab and he followed after Steve after he gestured to Bruce that he wanted to follow him. Bruce took off his glasses and tucked them into his shirt pocket as he watched Steve jog by with Tay in his arms. Steve turned the corner and rushed into the infirmary.

 

“I need help.” He set her down on the closest gurney and immediately doctors came up to them and started asking questions as they stabilized her.

 

“How long has it been in her? Hey, I need you stay awake. Can you do that?” Tay didn’t say anything but she coughed and fluttered her eyelashes in an effort to keep them open. “We need to get the blood flow to stop. How long, Captain Rogers?”

 

“About ten minutes? Maybe less?” He offered in a rush.

 

“It’s healing around the blade but it keeps reopening because of the blade. Is she human?”

 

“No, she’ll heal on her own. She needs blood though.” Tax said and Kai suddenly appeared and assessed the situation. He moved to rip out the knife but the doctors and Steve blocked him from doing so.

 

Tay heard brief clips of their conversation but she was slowly losing consciousness. Her entire body was cold and she just saw Steve’s concern as her eyes fluttered close and didn’t open again.


	16. Chapter 16

Chapter Sixteen:

 

Steve watched her eyes close and he desperately begged, "Tay, open your eyes."

 

The doctors whisked her away and Steve tried to follow after. A nurse put a hand to his chest to stop him from moving any further. "I'm sorry, Captain, but we can't allow you to move any farther."

 

Steve nodded his head and the nurse closed the doors behind her. Tax and Kai were sitting on the chairs, both of them had their eyes closed and their eyebrows furrowed together. He stood and started pacing the room, occasionally looking at the brothers and their concentrated looks and he said, "What are you two doing?"

 

"We're listening." Victoria said and she smiled at Steve and patted his shoulder. "Monsieur, you don't need to worry."

 

"She is dying! I have every right to worry!" He said, frustrated. Tony and Bruce studied their captain and watched him looking at the door.

 

"Steve, it's gonna be a while." Bruce said quietly. "You should sit down. You're making us nervous."

 

Steve sat down and the brothers frowned. Tax spoke first. "They're going to end up hurting her more. I should go help them."

 

Kai opened his eyes and put a hand on his brother's arm. "Don't do anything, Tax. You're going to make it worse."

 

"She's in pain, Kai. I'm going to help her with or without your help." Tax started to speed away to the door but Kai was in front of the door with his arms crossed. "Move out of my way."

 

"Sit down Tax." Kai frowned and Tax just frowned.

 

"She's going to die. Her heartbeat is weak and she can't respond to my connection." Tax pushed his brother out of the way but Kai blurred over to him and threw him into a chair. The brothers started fighting and Steve grew increasingly frustrated with their behavior.

 

"Hey! Fighting isn't going to solve anything." Kai and Tax both stopped fighting and suddenly Tax disappeared. Tax had gone into the emergency room.

 

Tax ran around, looking for his sister, and finally found her with doctors surrounding her. "Get out of the room!"

 

He used compulsion and they all scattered away. He rushed over to her and bit his wrist to draw blood then forced the blood into her mouth to heal her. As he shoved his wrist into her mouth, he ripped out the knife and her heartbeat started to pick up again. Tax ripped out the IV and multiple electrodes attached to her head and chest. He bit his wrist again and forced more blood into her system before the gap in her chest started to close up and he sighed in relief.

 

Kai had reached the hospital room and he noticed all the doctors standing out of Tay’s room and he shook his head before he sped into the room. “Tax, you’re being-”

 

“Look, I’ve healed her faster than those idiots out there would have.” Tax pointed out and Kai frowned despite the fact he was glad that she was better. “I need to get her blood or else she won’t function. I doubt she’s been drinking enough.”

 

The next moment Tax disappeared and reappeared with multiple bags and hooked her up to a siphon of blood. He poked the back of her hand before he hooked up the apparatus and then watched the blood start to flow into her. Satisfied with his job, Tax stood back with a nod. “See, Kai? She’s alive, not that they would have done anything better.”

 

“Where’s the knife?” Kai looked around and sniffed at the air but he couldn’t smell the knife. “Where is the knife?”

 

Tax started to panic and he searched under the bed and under the nearby desk. “Shit, shit, shit.”

 

Kai and Tax ripped apart the room and didn’t find the knife anywhere. “What the hell did you do, Tax?”

 

“What’s the problem? We heard yelling.” Clint said after he poked his head into the doorway. Steve pushed past him to see Tay.

 

"Where are the doctors?" Steve demanded.

 

"I fixed her, so calm down." Tax compelled him and Kai shook his head as a warning. "Do you see a knife anywhere?"

 

"Why?" Clint asked as Tony, Natasha, Bruce, and Thor came into the room.

 

"What are we looking for?" Tony asked as he studied the brothers frantically tear the room apart. Tax just looked at Tony and went back to looking around the room.

 

Suddenly Tay gasped and bolted upright. Her eyes looked around wildly and Kai was the first to rush over and put his hands on her shoulders to calm her. “Tay, you’re in 2015 and you decided to take on a job for SHIELD and then someone slammed a door into you and a knife was jammed into your heart. Mickey is with a caretaker and these people are your friends.”

 

“Right. Thanks, Kai.” She said and she let out an exhausted breath of relief.

 

“Why’d you tell her that? She already knows who we are.”

 

“Sometimes I momentarily forget where and when I am when I come back from being dead.” She brushed her hair back and smiled at everyone around the room. She caught Steve’s eyes and reached out towards him but was restricted by the needle poking into her skin. She frowned but Steve had already walked over and took her hand. “Hi.”

 

He just smiled because after nearly dying and giving him an anxiety attack all she had to say to him was ‘hi’ and Steve shook his head but kissed her forehead, despite the mass amounts of people crowded into the hospital room. “Hi, Tay. How do you feel?”

 

“Like I could run a marathon.” Clint and Natasha laughed at her response and they walked out of the room once they agreed that she was going to be fine. They went off to find Fury who was talking to them in their earpieces.

 

Tay struggled to sit up so she wouldn't have to strain her neck at the angle she was at but Steve shook his head. Tony spoke up and said, "Damn, you had us all worried there Barbie."

 

Tony walked over and adjusted the bed higher up. She smiled gratefully and her pale skin looked better and healthier. "Well I'm glad you care Tony."

 

"You had him worried." Tony inclined his head towards Steve and she smiled at Steve.

 

"I'm sorry I'm so much trouble then, Captain." She adjusted her hand and squeezed tightly. Steve kissed her forehead and Tony rolled his eyes in the background.

 

"Tay I can't find the knife." Tax said with a disgruntled and frustrated scowl. He put his hands on his hips and looked around the room. "It's not anywhere."

 

"And it has my blood on it right?" Tay said but Steve shook his head.

 

"Can this wait till later? She's tired and needs rest."

 

"No Steve we need to find it." Steve studied her desperate look and her pleading eyes and he caved. "Thank you."

 

"I didn't even say anything."

 

"You didn't have to." She sat further up and he noticed that she was the most serious he'd ever seen her. "What'd you do after you removed it?"

 

"I don't know. I just ripped it out-"

 

"You ripped it out?!" Steve yelled and he was calmed by Tay's touch. "Okay why do we need to find this knife? Why is it such a big deal?"

 

"Tay's blood is a weapon. One which will have to wait till later to be explained." Kai said before he stepped out of the room for a moment.

 

"Here, I can help." Tay started to get up but everyone pushed her back down and she groaned. "I'm fine. I'm alive and I've healed and I'm already tired of lying in this hospital bed."

 

"You are not going anywhere." Tax said and she rolled her eyes. "Plus you still need at least two more blood bags in your system, can't have you fainting on us now little sister."

 

"Fine." She instead sat up, ripped off any and all needles and electrodes that were still on her. She grabbed the blood bags and sucked them down like water. She grabbed a third just in case and drank that in one gulp. "Happy now?"

 

She got up and smiled. “Tay-”

 

“I’ll be fine Steve.” She held his hand as she wobbily get to her feet and steadied herself. Steve wrapped his arm around her waist and she leaned on him for support. “We need to find that knife.”

 

Tax tossed her another blood bag and she sipped on it, but a bit self consciously because some people were openly staring. She averted her eyes and tried to unhinge herself from Steve’s side, but he wouldn’t let her budge an inch. Steve leaned in and whispered into her ear quietly, “I wouldn’t even think of moving. I’m not letting you go that easily.”

 

She smiled despite herself and resigned herself to being in his warm, muscular arms for a while, what a struggle. She opened up her hearing range and her mind-reading abilities expanded themselves as well. She quickly scanned the minds of those around her but she didn't see any mention of taking the knife or otherwise. The mind reading had snapped back and she sighed. Tay turned around and fixed the bed but saw the knife. "Oh thank the gods."

 

Tay held up the knife and everybody looked relieve, especially the family. Tony spoke up and asked, "So why was the knife so important?"

 

"My blood can cause immense pain if certain people get a hold of it."

 

"How do you know that?" Natasha asked.

 

"Trust us when we say we learned the hard way." Tax's usual happy and upbeat expression suddenly turned serious and the room was silent for a moment before Tay spoke up.

 

"Thank you Tax for that very depressing sentence." She forced a smile and turned away from him with a roll of her eyes. "If you'll excuse me, I have a daughter to attend to."

 

Tay walked out in her bloody uniform and Steve followed after her in a jog. "Tay maybe you should rest and stay in bed for a while. You nearly died."

 

"Don't worry I will." She said with a smile. Steve met it with one of his own tentative looks. "How are you holding up Steve?"

 

"Shouldn't I be asking you that?"

 

"Wasn't an answer.”

 

“I’m fine. I didn’t get stabbed.” He said with a pointed look and she laughed and took his hand in hers. “That was exciting.”

 

“That’s the understatement of the century.” She laughed at his joke, which made him extremely happy to see her alive and well again. It, however, was an absurd concept for him to come to terms with because one moment she's dying and the next, she's laughing.

 

"Captain." Director Fury came stalking towards the happy couple with a file and flash drive in his hand. "Conference room three in twenty."

 

"Yes sir." Steve nodded his head and looked down at Tay. "Is Tay coming too?"

 

"Ready to join SHIELD?" Steve was surprised at Fury's sudden request and he vehemently shook his head. "Something wrong, Rogers?"

 

Tay could sense his hesitations and she hurried to say, "Can I have a moment to think about it Director? I have a daughter and a family to think of so I'd like to have their input."

 

Director gave her a knowing look but nodded his head. "Twenty minutes for both of you."

 

He walked away and she gave Steve a look. He frowned and said, "SHIELD is the good guy usually but I don't like the idea of you joining up with them."

 

"Why? What could possibly happen that would be so bad?"

 

"You could die, for starters."

 

"I'm kind of hard to kill, Steve."

 

"What's that supposed to mean?"

 

"Well, sirens are supposed to be the perfect creature for luring and killing people. And if being a vampire amplifies your previous personality, can you imagine how deadly I am to anything and everything?" Tay laid her hand on his arm. "I'm going to ask Tax, Kai, Victoria, and Max if they would agree to my being a SHIELD agent. If I don't get a unanimous vote, then I won't do it."

 

"You're not going to budge on this are you?" She shook her head and smiled slightly as she realized that he was about to cave and she kissed him right in the middle of the hallway, despite the few agents walking hurriedly by, avoiding their embrace. She pulled away and they smiled at each other. “Then we should go. Let’s go get their votes.”

 

~~

 

“How could you be so bloody stupid, Tay?” Tax yelled as he spun around on her and he ran his fingers through his hair in agitation.

 

Tay stood there, calm and composed as she waited for her twin to calm down a bit. “Tax, I’m not joining a cult or anything, I’m getting a job.”

 

“One that will expose you for your abilities. Do you ever think anything through?”

 

“Like you’re one to talk.” She said, starting to get frustrated with her brother. “I wanted your opinion Tax on the job opportunity. I only asked because I wanted your concern for Mickey so I mean this when I say, I do not want your opinion on the rest of my life choices.”

 

“Then yes, I think Mickey will be fine while you work at SHIELD.” He frowned and rolled his eyes as he let out a frustrated breath. “Just don’t come running to me for help when this job blows up in your face.”

 

“Shut up, you know you’ll help.” Tay said with a smile. She kissed his cheek and left the room to find Steve who was right outside the door. “Hey, he said I could. So now that everyone’s said yes, ready to go to the meeting?”

 

“If you are.” He took her hand in his and studied her. “Are you sure that this is what you want though?”

 

“What do you mean?” She asked and she looked up at Steve because he was at least four inches taller than she.

 

“I mean, is this what you want to do with your life? Join SHIELD and fight battles that aren’t yours?” He asked and he stopped her by standing in front of her with his arms crossed.

 

Tay didn’t really know the answer to that but she did know that it meant adrenaline rushes and being around Steve more often, not that she was usually one to join a company or organization for a man. She smiled at him, determined, and said, “Yes. I’ve seen too many people lose their lives because no one was there to fight for them and to fight for justice. So, yes, Captain Rogers, I do want to join SHIELD and fight battles that aren’t mine.”

 

“Then let’s go soldier.” He saluted her and she saluted back with a slight grin on her face. “Hey, no laughing in the army.”

 

“Yes sir.” She just smiled even wider and he kissed her before he took her in his arms and walked towards conference room three and towards a new start with Tay.


	17. Chapter 17

Chapter Seventeen:

 

“So glad you could join us, Athans.” Fury greeted as they walked in. Thor and Bruce were already at the table and Natasha and Clint were going over something on the board. Tay took a look around and everyone seemed to know their place besides her. She sat down at the table, alone, because Maria Hill had pulled Steve aside to talk about something. She had Mickey on her lap as she waited for Fury to start addressing the room after finishing talking with Tony.

 

Mickey started to fall asleep in her mother’s arms and Tay smiled down at her daughter, who had a tight grip on the end of her hair. She was glad that her daughter was unaware that her mother had just nearly died. “Okay, listen up people.”

 

The conversations died down and everyone took a seat around the table. Tony was the first to start talking and he twirled a pen around in his fingers as he asked with a jerk of his head, “What’s up Fury?”

 

Steve rolled his eyes at the lack of respect Tony had for Fury and Tay just watched with amusement. Fury kept going despite Tony’s lack of emotional maturity and he replied, “We’re going to hit every HYDRA base to eliminate the enemy and get back Loki’s scepter.”

 

“Any idea where the bases are?”

 

“Hill.” Fury nodded to his second in command and she spun around and pulled something up on the hologram.

 

“This is what we’ve uncovered so far. We’ll need to send in a team to determine the other locations.” Tay nodded her head as she noticed how everyone was so serious that it was almost comical; well, everyone except Tony who only looked disinterested. “We’re sending Romanoff, Athans, and Barton in, so they can get the other locations.”

 

“Are you sure?” Steve protested. Fury gave him a look that clearly read ‘why are you questioning my orders?’ and she smiled to herself.

 

“Steve, I can handle myself.”

 

“Will you look after her?” He addressed Clint and Natasha.

 

“I’m not a fragile porcelain doll.”

 

“She doesn’t look like she’d break easily anyway.” Natasha added and she appraised Tay before she nodded her head.

 

“But yea, Cap, we’ll look after your girl.” Clint said. Tay leaned back in her chair and groaned in frustration. She decided to bite her tongue; however, she was absolutely furious underneath her calm, somewhat happy and pleasant demeanor. Natasha picked up on it and just smiled to herself as she saw the anger boiling in Tay’s stormy gray eyes.

 

“You leave in six hours. Dismissed.” Fury left and Tay shifted Mickey in her arms before she stalked out of the room. Steve was confused and he left his snickering friends and teammates behind him.

 

“Trouble in paradise.” Tony teased as Steve shut the door behind him.

 

Tay was quickly walking down to the training center, and mysteriously without Mickey. She weaved in and out of agents quite gracefully and a few even jumped out of her way because her eyes were furious and her walk aggressive. Steve just barely caught a glance at her tall brown-haired figure before it disappeared into the training center. He jogged to catch up with her. He scanned the room to find her standing at the gun range with two .21 guns in her hands. She had on headphones and goggles as she stood there with both guns in her hands. There was no kickback for her and he admired it for a moment before he walked up to her side.

 

“Tay.” He said and she either didn’t hear him or ignored him because she didn’t show any signs of the briefest acknowledgement. He grabbed her earmuffs and held them high above her head as she whipped around to see Steve standing there with a concerned expression. “Tay.”

 

“Steve.” She said back with a forced smile.

 

“Are you angry with me?” He asked. Tay scoffed and emptied the last of the cartridge into the dummy in front of her. The bullets all landed in the head or the heart. She slammed the guns down and spun around as he asked, “What did I say?”

 

“I am a siren Steve. I am also a vampire. I do not need protecting from the bad guys.” She insisted as she crossed her arms and cocked a hip. Her eyes flashed dangerously and her lips were set in stone in a way that said ‘I dare you to refute what I just said’.

 

“And I know that-”

 

“Then you obviously don’t believe it!” She exclaimed. Steve was taken back with the passion she expressed and he regretted asking Clint and Natasha to keep an eye on her in front of everyone. Tay shouted, “If you truly believed that Steve then you wouldn't have asked Clint or Natasha if they would keep an eye on me. As I said before, I am not a doll. I cannot be broken and I will not be broken.”

 

“I just care about you Tay and I don’t want you half-dead again because that was one of the scariest moments in my life.” He yelled back in a heated rage.

 

“You don’t need to worry about me. I’m fine. Nothing will be able to hurt me.” She sighed and took off her goggles. Tay breathed in deeply and said at a normal decibel level. “Steve, I love that you care about me and I feel the same but I cannot have you think of me as some weak little human incapable of anything.”

 

“It's hard to forget sometimes that you can take care of yourself." He kissed her forehead and she went on her toes to kiss him on the lips. Her eyes had returned to their normal shade of gray and she sighed as she leaned into his embrace.

 

"Thank you for worrying about me, Steve." She kissed him again and took his hand. Tay leaned into him then said, “We should find another SHIELD uniform. I don’t think my bright green shirt is very discreet.”

 

“Not really.” He laughed and guided her out of the training center with a focused and contemplative look. Tay was lost in her own thoughts as she planned out what Natasha and Clint, two very experienced assassins, would think when they had to deal with an inexperienced team mate. She was sure that her abilities would get her out of any tricky situation. “Tay?”

 

“Uh, sorry what?” Steve laughed and asked if she wanted to get Mickey again and she shook her head. “No, I should get something appropriate to wear for the mission.”

 

She readjusted her beautiful features into a serious face and she directed her attention to where she last left her travel bag with some clothes in it. Tay grabbed Steve’s incredibly warm hand then headed in the direction of her clothes. “Are you nervous?”

 

“Not at all. They’ll most likely not need me for much, besides listening for those inside the building.”

 

“You should go in to check on Barton and Romanoff.”

 

“Of course. So unless I get a direct order not to go into the building then of course, I’ll help them. I’m not cold hearted.” She said with a shrug. Tay opened the door and walked over to her bag to retrieve some dark clothing. She excused herself into a secluded area then she slipped on a pair of leather leggings and a black tank top.

 

“Athans, do you copy?” Fury’s voice rang in her ear and the volume hurt her ears because it was too loud for her sensitive ears.

 

“Yes, I copy.” She grimaced as she walked back to Steve.

 

“Report to the bridge.” Fury said and she kissed Steve goodbye before she vanished in a blur.

 

~~

 

“Barbie, do you understand the plan?” Barton asked quietly as they each hid different shadows by the imposing building.

 

“Yes, Barton. I got it.” Tay sighed as she readied herself to run into the direct line of gunfire to disable the alarms and the guards. She knew that the guns would automatically fire at anything that would move so she had to run at a superhuman speed.

 

“On my count.” Natasha said and she checked her watch. “Ready? Three, two, one.”

 

Tay shot off in a blur and the guns started firing at her and she felt one of the graze her shoulder and she caught it before it went anywhere then she ran up to the guards’ control center. She quickly broke the necks of the guards and turned off every alarm as she sent a wave through every brain in the complex that having no alarms would be alright. Natasha at this point was already disabling the guards at the front door and Clint squeezed himself through the ventilator shaft as he crawled his way to the main room where the computer was then Tay watched with fascination as she watched the two professional assassins work. “Clint, guard under you. Stop.”

 

She listened for Clint’s even breathing then realized Nat was about to be ambushed by a bunch of guards. Tay hacked into the guards’ minds and made them fall asleep. The clatter of the guns in her ear made her sure that they had fallen to the ground asleep. Natasha just looked around the corner and nodded her approval at the camera because she knew that Tay would be watching with a keen eye. Tay inserted her thumb drive into the port and started downloading all of the files for SHIELD before she walked out of the tower and into the complex.

 

The moonlight provided enough light for her to see, not that she really needed it, but she used it to her advantage. Tay blurred through the unlocked doors and heard Clint moving right above her. She whispered into her comms, “Clint, underneath you.”

 

“Copy that.” Tay envisioned the layout of the ventilators and relayed more directions to Clint as he wormed his way through the tight spaces.

 

“Athans, have a second?” Natasha said in between grunts and punches. Tay sped over to where Natasha had an entire swarm of guards and Tay made them all drop to the ground, asleep. “Thanks.”

 

“Yea. Phase two?” Tay heard Clint reach the main room as she put her hands on her hips and studied the fallen guards around them.

 

“Not yet. We have to wait for Clint-”

 

“I’m at the center.” Tay nodded her head and blurred off in another direction than Natasha. Tay made sure that all of the guards in Natasha’s path would be asleep with their guns uncocked and on their laps, in plain sight. Tay came across the alarm system for the main room and she listened for the lock combination before she entered the room. She saw the lasers all spread throughout the room and she rolled her eyes. How stereotypical, Tay thought to herself as she eyed the small spaces. She concentrated and she kept humming an especially high note, undetectable to the human ear, because that would corrode the electronic wires in the entire system. Eventually the lasers disappeared and she stepped inside with the flash drive already in her hand.

 

"Okay I'm clear." She said into her comms. Clint showed up besides her not thirty seconds later and he tossed her the drive while he ran something else through the system. She clicked through the files and downloaded everything when Clint shot an arrow right by her ear. She whipped around and saw the guard fall to the ground. "Thanks."

 

"Clint want to give me a hand?" Tay nodded her head and Clint disappeared not a moment later. She was juggling downloading both files.

 

"Almost done in there, Tay?" Natasha asked.

 

"Five seconds." Tay replied and she heard an annoying ticking noise and she looked around but she couldn't locate it. "Guys, anyone else hear that ticking noise?"

 

She grabbed the flash drive and looked around at the room. Nothing seemed overly suspicious but she walked over to the ticking noise in the control box and she removed the cover of it. When she lifted it up she saw the bomb counting down. "Shit. Run!"

 

The countdown was two seconds and Tay bolted out of the complex and she was thrown into the air from the explosion. She crashed into the forest bordering the complex and she hit her head on a tree branch. She heard a ringing noise then she blacked out.

 

~~

 

"Nat you okay?" Clint said in his comms as he boarded the quinjet. Natasha walked up right behind him and said yes. "Tay, you almost here?"

 

Silence met his question and Natasha shook her head as she looked out of the loading dock. "I don't see her. Tay, do you copy?"

 

"Fury, do you have a read on her?" Clint asked into his comms where Director Fury, Steve, and Maria were listening.

 

"No. I don't see her anywhere." Suddenly guns starting opening fire and Natasha and Clint started up the plane.

 

"Clint we have to go."

 

"We can't leave her." Clint said as he fired off shots into the hazy smoke. He heard coughing in the comms and he listened closer. "Tay?"

 

"Ugh. Stupid bombs." Tay moaned and looked around her. She saw the fires raining down around her and her arm was slightly burnt and her leg was twisted at a weird angle. The skin wasn’t healing and she couldn’t feel it so she assumed it was a third degree burn. Her head hurt from the constant high pitch noise in her ear and she tried to cover her ears as she groaned, "Oh man."

 

On her broken leg she ran as fast as she could to the quinjet and she jumped into the quinjet as soon as it started to close. She landed with a thud and Clint lowered his bow and rushed to her side."Oh gods remind me not to jump next time."

 

Tay landed on her side, especially her wrist and she groaned as she rolled over so she was face up. She waved her uninjured hand at Clint with a small smile and asked, "So, you want to put my bone back into place?"

 

"Clint you got it?" Natasha asked as she brought the plane into the air and out of the fiery forest. 

 

"Yup." He walked over and held her leg in his hand and looked at her. "You want any painkillers for this? It's gonna hurt like a bitch."

 

"Nope. Just do it." She looked away but gagged herself and Clint grimaced before he shoved her joint back into its proper place. Tay screamed into the gag and she sighed then ripped the gag out of her mouth. “Oh gods.”

 

“You okay? Need anything?” Clint asked.

 

“Nothing you should offer.” She said and someone started talking in her ear but she couldn’t focus beyond the lasting pain in her leg. Clint shook her arm and she looked at him.

 

“Cap is-- to you, Barbie. Did -- hear the --?” Clint said and she shook her head.

 

“Uh, I can’t, uh, think. Or focus.” She said and Clint frowned and he held his hand up in front of her face.

 

“How many fingers?” Tay squinted and saw three so she said so, and he shook his head. “I have my thumb up. Okay, you need to stay awake.”

 

“Yup… I, uh, know. I was a, uhm, doctor.” She shifted slightly on the floor, trying to get her back comfortable because something was poking her back. “Clint. There’s something… in my back.”

 

“I can’t turn you over without risking injuring your leg and if I don’t know what you need, then I can’t move you. I’m sorry Tay.” He shrugged and said, “Steve asked if you could hear him but I guess your lack of response kind of satisfied his need for an answer.”

 

“Oh, uh, yea, Steve. I’m okay.”

 

“No you’re not. Just come back, Tay.” Steve’s voice rang clear in her head this time and she smiled.

 

“Yea, I’ll always come back.” She whispered and she asked Clint, “Can I have some, uh, water?”

 

“Just a sec.” He nodded and disappeared. Tay brushed her dirty, matted, and bloody hair out of her eyes and she sighed. Clint came back not a moment after and handed her the glass while holding her head up. She nodded her head and stopped drinking the water. “How are you holding up? Has your leg healed yet?”

 

“Two hours out.” Natasha said before she put the plane on autopilot.

 

“No, it hasn’t. Not yet. But I can think with more clarity. There’s a blood bag in my duffel over there.” She pointed over to her left. “I need it so my leg can heal.”

 

He reached over and dug through the bag before he handed it to her. She uncapped it and gulped down the blood, disgusted at the fact that it made her feel so much better. She sighed in relief as she could feel her bone start to heal in both her wrist and her leg and the piece of whatever in her back was starting to move out of her back. “Can you help me sit up?”

 

She held out both her hands and Clint slowly helped her in a sitting position then he walked around to her back to check out what was protruding from her shoulder blades. He grimaced when he realized it was a couple of a branches embedded and he told her as much. “Okay, do you want to pull them out?”

 

“Are you sure it’s safe?”

 

“Don’t do it, Barton.” Steve’s voice rang in her ear and she frowned.

 

“It’s okay Steve. I had a knife in my heart and that was pulled out and now I’m fine. Go ahead Clint." She felt Clint’s steady hand on her back and the branch slightly moved when he grabbed it and she closed her eyes and waited for him to pull it out. Clint grimaced before he ripped out the branch and she groaned.

 

“Man, that was gross.” Clint said. “Two more.”

 

Tay moaned into her gag in anticipation of the pain and she closed her eyes. Clint quickly yanked out the other one then the other with a steady hand. She groaned and took the gag out of her mouth. “I just had to land in a tree.”

 

She laid down on the floor and Nat loomed over her. “Need some blood?”

 

“No, I’ll be fine until we reach base.” Tay closed her eyes and sighed. “Can you put on some music?”

 

“Uh, sure.” Natasha put on the speaker system and Tay sighed in relief.

 

"I'll clean up the blood later." She closed her eyes. “I just need to rest some.”

 

So Tay just fell asleep on the floor of the quinjet, surrounded in a halo of her blood again, fast asleep as she returned back to SHIELD, her daughter, and her captain.


	18. Chapter 18

Chapter Eighteen:

 

The jet landed and she opened her eyes to see Clint leaning over her and he smiled. “Wakey, wakey Sleeping Beauty.”

 

“Very cute, Barton.” She laughed weakly and she sat up. She turned back around to look at the gross mess she was leaving behind but she shrugged and waited for the mouth of the plane to be lowered.

 

Her brown hair was tinged at the ends with blood and she grimaced at the sight of it. The strain of the plane echoed in her ears and she looked over to see the mouth opening. She grinned when she saw Steve standing on the other side with a grim face. She walked out and she stood for a moment in front of him with a wide smile on her face.

 

She threw her arms around him and he wrapped her up in his strong, warm arms and she smiled to herself. “What were you thinking?”

 

“It’s nice to see you too Steve.” She kissed him on the cheek and she took his hand in hers. Tay sighed and rolled her shoulders around. “I was thinking that I could survive the whole thing, which I did.”

 

She emphasized the last part and he frowned. “You’re crazy.”

 

“Aw, thank you.” She laughed and he was hit with that magical dizziness for a moment as he listened to the musical melody. “I need to change and take a shower. I’ll see you later.”

 

She briefly kissed his lips then she ran off in a blur of wind. Clint came up behind the captain and clapped him on the shoulder. “You know, she really is something else.”

 

“Don’t I know it.” Steve gave a half-grin and he shook his head as he followed in her direction. He grabbed Mickey on his way to her room. He balanced the quiet baby girl in his arms and he grinned down at the girl. Mickey laughed and smiled as she tried to grab his fingers that he waved in front of her face. “You are just the cutest thing in the world. Let’s go find your mom.”

 

“Cap had a kid?” Tony teased as he walked by and he leaned over towards Steve with an obnoxious grin. “She’s cute. Where’s Barbie? She’s usually around.”

 

“She’s showering in her room.” He told him.

 

“You thinking about joining her, old man?” Tony teased him as he continued walking on his way to the bridge. Steve didn’t reply, but a slight blush crept its way up to his ears and Tony caught it before he walked away.

 

Steve adjusted Mickey in his arms and she suddenly screwed up her mouth and her nose and she burst in tears. He started panicking and he walked even faster to Tay’s room which was just around the corner. He opened the door without knocking and he heard the shower still running.

 

Tay heard her door open and she stuck her head out of the shower curtain and she tilted her head, listening to the person on the other side. Steve? She heard Mickey crying and she laughed. She stopped the running water and she quickly wrapped herself in a towel. She opened the door and laughed at the sight of Steve and Mickey together.

 

Steve was looking rather perplexed as he bounced Mickey up and down. “Hey, baby, it’s okay.”

 

Tay gently switched Mickey into her own arms and she grinned as her daughter started to calm down from her gentle touch. “I’m sorry, she just started crying-”

 

“It’s fine. Babies do that a lot. You’ve just got to get used to it.” She grinned at Steve and she awkwardly tried to adjust her slowly slipping towel. “Could you hand me that bag with the flowers on it? It’s over there in the corner. Yeah, that one.”

 

Steve looked around the desk and grabbed the flower patterned bag. He handed it over and put it on the bed. Tay grinned and adjusted Mickey onto her other hip and she kept adjusting her because Mickey kept pulling the edge of her towel down.

 

“Hey, sweetheart. You’ve got to stop pulling Mommy’s towel down. Steve’s not that kind of guy.” Tay kissed her daughter’s nose and Mickey’s cries quieted down as the keen baby watched her mother prepare a bottle of warm formula. 

 

Tay placed her gently in the cradle and Mickey held up the bottle for herself and Tay quickly adjusted her slipping towel. Steve noticed the brief flash of thigh and he blushed a deep tomato red and Tay realized what happened and she quickly covered herself. “Oh my gods, I’m so sorry.”

 

“Uh, no not at all. Really. I shouldn’t have just barged in here.” Steve turned around and she dashed into the bathroom and quickly slipped her SHIELD uniform on. She tried to zip it up even more but her boobs were too big to provide much coverage.

 

Tay walked back into the main living room and she blushed indefinitely. She crossed her arms but she looked down and her boobs just seemed to push up even further. Steve chose that moment to turn around and Tay whipped around so she wasn’t facing him and she grabbed her blazer off the coat hanger. She hurriedly put it on and she turned back around to face Steve. She was still blushing and she grimaced.

 

“I’m sorry, Steve.” She said and she covered herself and blushed such a deep red she feared that she wouldn’t ever return back to her normal pale complexion. Steve was red too and for a quiet moment, they stood face-to-face in an awkward moment where they studied the other.

 

Mickey’s sudden giggling interrupted their moment and Tay turned to her daughter and she smiled as she took the somewhat empty bottle from her tiny hands. “Good job, baby girl.”

 

Tay kissed her head and watched as Mickey yawned and Tay picked her up gently. She burped her for a bit until Mickey let out a nice quiet hiccup then Tay put her in the crib with a blanket wrapped around her tiny body. Tay hummed a sweet tune to make Mickey fall asleep. She turned around when she heard a soft thud and she saw Steve passed out on her bed. Tay laughed and she walked over to the sleeping soldier. She leaned a bit over and nudged him gently.

 

“Captain?” She whispered and he opened his eyes slowly and immediately sat upright. She quickly stepped to the side to avoid a head collision and she rested a hand on his shoulder. “Hey, I’m sorry about that. I forgot that you were there for a moment. I should’ve realized what it would’ve done to you.”

 

“No, it’s alright. I needed that quick nap.” He grinned and she smiled as she stood upright. Steve stood next to her and she felt particularly tiny next to his 6’2” frame. “Is she going to be alright like that?”

 

“Yea. I’ll be around anyway if she wakes up and starts crying.” Tay taps her ear and he nodded in understanding.

 

“I’m sure the Director will want to debrief you.”

 

“Right. Let’s go find the bastard.” She grinned and dashed out of the room. He followed her and looked around to see that she had disappeared. Steve nearly jumped when she suddenly appeared in front of him. “Come on, slow poke.”

 

She kissed him gently on the jawline and he brought her closer for a better kiss. She stood on her tiptoes and grinned into the kiss and he wrapped his arm around her tiny waist. Tay loved the feeling of electricity that ran throughout her body as she kissed his soft lips and she wrapped her arms around his neck. She nearly moaned into his mouth and he pulled apart and he half-smiled.

 

Tay ran her fingers through his blond hair and messed it up and gave him a brief kiss. “Now that you’re done your liplock in the middle of the hall for everyone to gag at, can you please join us in the bridge?”

 

They turned to Tay’s brother Tax who had a disgusted and bored look on his face. Tay and Steve both blushed a bit before they joined hands and followed Tax into the bridge area. "I found them making out in the hallway."

 

Tax pulled a face and Tony and Clint gave a slight laugh under their breaths and Kai and Thor just studied the couple that was blushing under the gaze of everyone. They sat down next to each other and Kai came behind her chair and whispered something in a foreign language and Steve noticed that Tax stiffened up. Tay frowned and brushed her hair out of her face, trying to concentrate on what her brother was saying.

 

Tay replied in a different foreign language and nobody at the table recognized enough of it to provide an accurate translation and Kai frowned as Tax mimed something and the family affairs were too much to keep up with.

 

"Will someone please tell me what the hell is going on?" Tony said with an exasperated sigh. Tay, Tax, and Kai gave each other looks, silently communicating. "Please tell me someone else thinks it's creepy to watch them communicate."

 

"We're not talking about anything that concerns you, Mr. Stark." Kai said in a reassuring tone and a polite smile.

 

Tay mumbled something and Tax slapped her on the shoulder and she rolled her eyes. "Please excuse my idiotic brothers. They're making a bigger deal out of nothing."

 

"It's not nothing, Teles. You're in serious danger from her. And from him." Tax said and she glared at him and suddenly stood up and her chair flew behind her.

 

"Don't ever mention him. That worthless piece of crap can just die already. I can't believe you're not letting me kill him already."

 

"He's our father, Teles." Kai said and she glared at him.

 

"He's not my father anymore." She snarled out and Steve had never seen her look so murderous. Everyone watched the interaction with bated breath and Tay calmed herself down. "I'm not having this conversation with you guys right now."

 

"But we will talk about it. Your dreams mean something and you know that." Tax said and Tay grumbled as someone came into the room.

 

"Athans? This came for you." A lowly SHIELD agent came in holding a box and he set it down on the table.

 

Tay eyed it carefully and sniffed at the air. It didn't smell potentially dangerous and she signed for it before she approached it warily. She used her nail to open the box and she gingerly opened the flaps of the box. She peeked inside and let out a sharp breath of disgust. Steve looked inside and he turned away in repulsion.

 

It was a human head.

 

Tay turned to Kai and Tax and said, "We need to talk about it now."

 

~~

 

"What the fuck do you mean you won't bloody help us?" Tax angrily yelled as he slammed his fist down onto the table. The steel easily bent in the shape of his fist and he fixed it before he turned his attention back to his sister.

 

"I mean I can't bloody help you because she's an absolute cow and can't be bothered to do anything!" Tay screamed back at her twin brother. They were in the conference room and the Avengers watched as the family fought and yelled. "Why the fuck do you even need my help? God knows she doesn't want to see me."

 

"Teles lower your voice. I mean the both of you really are being absolutely insufferable." Kai said as he pinched the bridge of his nose.

 

"See Tax? Kai obviously doesn't need my help revisiting that bitch so I'm not going to help you."

 

"I didn't say that, Teles." Kai said and he walked closer to his little sister and put a hand on her shoulder and tried to calm her down. "We just need to borrow you for a few days then you can return back here and be happy."

 

Tay shrugged his hand off and Tax growled. "You're being ridiculous, sister."

 

"Shut up, Taxiarchi." She screamed and the glass started cracking and the spectators (Natasha, Clint, Victoria, Thor, Bruce, Tony, and Steve) took a slight step back.

 

Tax lunged forward and gripped her shoulders hard. He blurred in a few moments and then Tay pushed him off with her own strength and they began fighting. They blurred together and for the mere mortals just outside the window, it was hard to keep up with. Kai also started blurring in with the fighting siblings and he at one point had Tax pinned but Tax escaped from the grip. Tax just went after Tay and had her in a headlock and Victoria and Steve burst into the room. Tax had her pinned and he snarled out, "You're going to help us little sister or he will take your daughter away from you."

 

Tay lifted her legs up and squeezed them around Tax's neck and brought them both down to the floor and they both let go. They stared each other down and Tay stood up and glared at her brother. She raised a wicked eyebrow and challenged, "A little wager?"

 

"Bring it."

 

"Don't-" Kai tried to say but his younger twin siblings had already disappeared. "Damnit."

 

He realized that everyone was looking to him for an explanation for the argument. He sighed and said, "Our father is hunting us down because our youngest sister Lamia is after Tay."

 

"Why?" Steve demanded to know. He couldn't bear the thought of Tay getting hurt and he clenched a fist.

 

"She's angry that Tay didn't turn her into a siren hybrid. She feels like she's been cheated out of her birthright."

 

"But that doesn't make any sense. Shouldn't she be a hybrid?" Clint asked.

 

"You're a full fledged siren when you turn 18. Lamia was 17 when she was turned into a vampire."

 

"Why didn't Tay let her be a hybrid like herself?"

 

"It's a long story and I need to make sure my siblings don't kill each other. Do you have an area with an open course with possible weaponry accessible to them?" He asked and they all nodded. "That's where they'll be. I'll show you what it looks like when they fight, which unfortunately is quite often."

 

"Either way, I'm rooting for Barbie." Tony piped up and Steve resisted the urge to roll his eyes, but secretly he hoped for Tay to win this fight. "I'm excited to see your girlfriend in action."

 

Tony winked and everyone, well most everyone, caught the double meaning. Kai made a face and said, "Please refrain from making sexual innuendos about my sister in front of me."

 

Steve glared at Tony, who just shrugged and made his way to the training center.


	19. Chapter 19

Chapter Nineteen: 

"Shit!" Tax groaned as he pulled the blade out of his arm. He whipped the knife around at Tay and managed to cut her cheek and she hissed in pain. She swept his legs out from under him but he flipped over and landed on his feet. She ran up to him and put him in a chokehold and Tax quickly used the knife to jam it into her thigh. 

Steve and the rest of the Avengers chose that moment to walk in and Steve ran over to the fighting couple but Kai sped in front of him and blocked the entrance to the training center. 

"I wouldn't. They're a volatile pair when they're fighting." Kai said and Steve could only watch helplessly as Tay and Tax fought each other. 

Tay moved to get the knife out of her leg and she briefly let go of Tax. He used that moment to throw her across the room and into the weapons wall. Tay crashed into it and she shook her head and pulled out the knife from her leg. The wounds quickly healed themselves and she grimaced from the blood. She spied the pack of the knives and she picked it up and immediately started chucking them at her brother's head and chest as she stood up on her feet. Tax caught most of them and threw them back at her and everyone watched with extreme interest as the knives flew back and forth so quickly it looked like blurs of silver and black flying between the two. 

Tay broke the knife fight by charging at her brother and she dodged the knives, twisting and flipping through the air like a ballerina. She tackled her brother down to the ground and pinned him beneath her. She straddled his torso and put her forearm against his neck, putting a slight pressure on it. 

"You bastard. How dare you bring my daughter into this!"

"She's not your daughter. She's gonna die anyway!" He yelled back at her and that set her off and she snapped his neck in a burst of anger. She stood up and stepped a bit away from him and glared at the body. 

Steve was to say the least, shocked from what has just transpired. Kai assured the suddenly worried and tense people around him. "Worry not, Avengers, he's not dead. Well he is but not permanently." 

Tay nudged the body and said, "I know you're back dipshit. Get up." 

"No concern for the brother you just killed?" Tax said and he groaned as he flipped himself upright. He cracked his neck and rolled his head around on his shoulders and he grimaced. 

"Nope." She popped the 'p' in the word and she looked down at the holes in her uniform. 

"I'm glad I rooted for Barbie." Clint said with a grin and he looked down to see that Tay was looking up at the observer's box. She grinned and waved. 

"Why didn't she use her voice?" Steve asked. 

Kai explained that Tay couldn't use it on her twin and that they're too alike for it to work. "They've got an odd bond. You know the phenomena of twin telepathy?" 

They nodded their heads and Kai pointed out, "Well, where do you think that originated from?" 

"That's so weird." Tony said and he observed the twins as they continued to jostle each other. Suddenly, Tay shoved her brother in the arm, sending him flying into the wall about 5 yards away from them. Tax just brushed it off and laughed as he stood up. They sped up to the observatory and joined the team. 

"Enjoy the show?" Tax asked with a grin and Tay shoved his head and ruffled his hair. She moved over and stood next to Steve who resisted the urge to check her over completely for bruises and cuts. 

"Who knew Barbie could take such a hit?" Tony asked and Clint laughed. 

"Are you okay?" Steve whispered to Tay and she nodded her head. 

"Never better." She kissed his jawline and she faced the team. 

She opened her mouth to say something but suddenly, a piercing high pitched wail broke through her concentration and she fell to her knees in pain. Tay covered her ears as if that would help but it only seemed to make it worse. She whimpered and moaned from the pain as she curled in on herself. It was an echoing noise that rattled her brain. 

"Tay? Tay? What's wrong?" Steve asked. He bent down to be on her level and he rested a reassuring hand on her back. Tay could only shake her head and Kai realized what was going on. Someone was using a witch to hurt his sister and he knew the person behind Tay's suffering. 

He turned to Tax and said, "It's time for a family reunion." 

~~

Sixteen hours later, everyone was assembled at Stark Tower, or the Avengers Tower according to Tony. There was the team (Natasha's Steve, Clint, Tony, Thor, and Bruce) but there was also the Athans family (Kalim, Victoria, Taxiarchi, Teles, Maarku, Ambrosia, and Alessandra). 

Steve and Tay were in Tay's room. They were talking while she fed her daughter and changed out of her SHIELD uniform. She stood in the bathroom and hurriedly changed into a floral pink, flowy dress while he watched over Mickey. They spoke quietly to each other from opposite sides of the door. "Steve, you don't have to do this. It isn't your fight." 

"I'm not going to allow you to step into enemy territory without me." 

"If you insist. My family's a bit... Eccentric. There's Taxiarchi/Tax and his wife Ambrosia. Then Maarku/Max and his wife Alessandra, and Kalim/Kai and his wife Victoria." Tay walked out and she kissed his soft blond hair. She took his hand and kissed him gently and chastely on the lips. Then, she stood up and unhooked Mickey from the cradle and adjusted the toddler on her hip. "Come on, I want you to meet my family." 

They walked upstairs, hand in hand and they smiled at the Athans all gathered there in the living room. Steve was surprised at how many siblings Tay had and he raised his eyebrows. Tony asked, "Woah, Barbie. How many siblings do you have?" 

"I had five brothers. Now it's just these three idiots and their better counterparts." Tay smirked and Max rolled his eyes but couldn't help and grin. 

"Okay let me make introductions." Tay announced and she smiled. She first pointed to Kai, or Kalim, and Victoria. Kai had dark brown hair that was swished to one side to reveal his stunning green eyes and his somber, serious face. "Okay so you guys know Kalim or Kai and his wife Victoria. Kalim means a person who lectures, which is sort of fitting because he's the oldest and always correcting us." 

A small laughter rippled through the Athans family and they smiled at the jest at their older brother. She pointed next to Maarku. He had broad shoulders and a physically imposing stature. He was physically buff like Steve and Thor and next to the rest of their family, he seemed like a giant. He had close cropped brown hair and a quiet, intelligent aura to him. "This is Maarku and his name means warlike and he's the second oldest of our siblings."

Tay moved over to her twin, who had her chestnut brown hair and her stormy gray eyes and said, "This is my twin brother Taxiarchi, or Tax. Taxiarchi means archangel which is definitely a misnomer because he's anything but. My name means perfect which is also a misnomer." 

"No it's not." Steve interrupted without a second thought and Tay heavily blushed. 

"Thank you." She brushed her hair behind her ear and smiled happily. 

"This is my sister-in-law Alessandra and she's a badass. Her name means protector of humanity. She's kind of like you Thor." 

Alessandra and Thor made eye contact and waved to each other. Tay gave the two a sly smile and went to Steve's side. 

"We obviously don't expect you to remember all of our names, and especially not what they mean." Maarku, or Max, said and he grinned. 

Tay leaned closer into Steve and her family noticed the magnetism between the two and they nudged each other. Alessandra raised her eyebrows slightly at her husband, Max, and silently asking if Steve was the One. He shrugged and he nudged Tax and raised his eyebrows. Tax immediately understood the unasked question and just smirked and gave a noncommittal shrug. Alessandra smiled widely and watched the beautiful couple. 

Tay was talking quietly to Steve and she held her sleeping daughter in her arms, unwilling to let her go right now. Steve laughed at something Tay said and a few of the siblings couldn't help but notice the natural chemistry between the two. 

"Well I think this family reunion calls for a party." Tony announced loudly over the babble of conversations and Tay just smiled in slight amusement.

"Tony, you really don't have to do this." She started to protest but Tax slapped a hand over her mouth. 

"Sh, don't protest. Just let it happen." Tay licked her brother's hand and he pulled back then wiped the saliva on the sleeve of her shirt. "Gods, what are you, four?" 

"You don't just go around slapping hands over people's mouths. Ugh." She rubbed at her face like she was trying to get his germs off her mouth and the room laughed. 

"Party tonight!" Tony cheered and Tay and Steve exchanged looks and sighed. 

Steve frowned slightly as he thought about the threat of her father and her sister. Tay nudged him and kissed his jaw. "It'll be alright. I'm not going anywhere. She can't hurt me." 

"What about your father?"

"He's fine. He just goes about things in the wrong way." She shrugged and held his hand tightly with Mickey balanced in the other hand. "We will be alright, Captain." 

"I just can't believe Stark can find a reason to entertain when your life's in danger." He glared at the man in question and Tay laughed. 

"He could probably find a reason to party and drink himself into oblivion if the world was ending." She grinned and Steve gave in and laughed too. 

"But-" She cut him off with an abrupt kiss and she wrapped an arm around his neck, effectively shutting him up. Clint whooped and hollered and Tony whistled. She pulled apart and smiled. 

"I'm not going anywhere. You're stuck with me for a while, soldier." 

"How sweet little sister, but you know what I've missed?" Max slid up next to Tay and Tax suddenly snatched Mickey out of her hands and Max quickly flipped Tay around and he threw her to his wife. Tay sailed through the air in a blur and Steve watched helplessly for a moment before Alessandra caught her and threw her back to Max. But Kai caught her mid throw and set her down on her feet. 

"What do you think you're doing?" Kai yelled out and Tay righted herself and she grinned. 

"You're one crazy bastard." She grinned like crazy and punched her brother in the arm. "I have missed that too. I haven't been thrown in a while."

"You're welcome." 

"Come on! I haven't seen you in half a century! Let's go shopping!" Alessandra whined and dragged her sister-in-law towards the door. 

"Ali! I can't just leave everyone." Tay protested and she ripped her arm out of her sister's grasp. 

"Hey adelfi (sister), I have something to show you." Tax gestured and he grabbed her arm and yanked her towards him. Alessandra quickly grabbed Tay's other arm and Tay groaned from the feeling. 

"Hey guys-" Her protests of pain were overridden by her family's arguments. After about another twenty seconds of arguing and pulling and pushing, Tay used her voice and compelled them, "Hey! Let go." 

Suddenly everyone let go of anything they were holding. A couple of glasses started to fall and she quickly ran to them before they crashed and shattered into the ground. She blushed prettily and "Oops. I didn't mean for that to happen. My bad." 

She rotated her arms and stretched a bit before she went back to grab Mickey out of the bouncer. The smiling giggling baby reached up for her mom and Tay smiled and kissed her daughter's nose. 

Steve looked over and watched Tay with a complete and utter fascination. Natasha was talking to him and she grinned when he completely left their conversation and she glanced over when she saw at whom he was staring. Her smile turned into a Cheshire grin and she nudged Steve. "Hey, soldier. It isn't nice to stare." 

"I wasn't-" Natasha cut him off with a look and his weak protests stopped. He looked over at Tay again and Tay looked up from playing with her daughter. She smiled and waved. She picked up Mickey's hand and had Mickey wave to Steve. He grinned and left Natasha and walked over to where the pair was standing. 

"Hi." Steve said in a quiet, sweet voice to Mickey. 

"Dada." She replied and she reached out for him. To say that Tay and Steve were shocked was to say the least. 

"Steve, I swear I didn't make her say that-" 

"It's fine really." Tay smiled in relief and for a quiet moment, everyone watched the pair. 

Her twin brother watched the two. Tax frowned and thought Steve was a negative influence in his little sister's life and his niece's life. Steve's lifestyle was eventually going to get them killed. 

Ambrosia watched the two. She smiled as she watched them stand so close to each other and move together like magnets. 

"Hey Cap, you're coming to the party tonight right?" Clint shouted out, a bit oblivious to the family's observant stares at the couple. 

He hesitated in answering, looking down at Tay with a questioning gaze. She nodded encouragingly and he replied, "Yea I'll be there. Can I talk to you?" 

"Yea of course. Hey, Ambrosia? Can you watch your niece?" 

"Yes! I want to!" The little pixie of a woman rushed over and smiled down at the sweet little baby girl. Ambrosia quickly scooped up the little girl and kissed her on the forehead. "She is so cute." 

"We'll be back soon, okay?" Tay let her know and ambrosia nodded. 

"Take all the time you need. I'll just hold her hostage until you get back. Let's go talk to Uncle T." Ambrosia walked away, bouncing Mickey on her hip, and started to talk to her husband. 

"Let's go somewhere away from the superhuman ears and assassins." Steve said and she grinned. 

"That sounds like a good idea." She took his hand in hers and rubbed her thumb across the back of his palm. "Any ideal places?"

"I know somewhere." They started walking to the elevator. 

"Would you look at that? Steve Rogers is being mysterious and sexy." She grinned and reached up on her tiptoes to kiss his jawline. Steve smiled and kissed her on the lips as they neared the bottom of the tower. He went to the garage and pulled out his motorcycle. 

"Hop on. Here, wear this." He straddled the seat then handed her his helmet and she laughed. 

"That's really funny Captain." She put it back on the rack and sat behind him. Her legs wrapped around his on the bike and her arms twisted around his taut, muscled stomach. Tay rested her head against the his firm back and she smiled. "I trust you completely. Plus I'm also an immortal hybrid so I think we're covered if we do get into an accident." 

She leaned up and kissed his cheek and he grinned. "Okay, it's your choice." 

"You're damned right it is." She wrapped her arms tighter around his stomach as he pulled out of the garage. She laughed as she felt the speed and the wind blow through her hair. She leaned into the turns with Steve and they stopped at a red light. 

"Hey sexy!" Tay looked over at the car next to them and it was a sleek black convertible with a bunch of college frat boys. She rolled her eyes and tried to ignore them. 

"Hey wanna ditch this faggot? I bet I could show you some sights you'd like." One of the boisterous guys yelled out and he stood up in the car and started pumping his hips like he was having sex. 

Her lips curled up in disgust and she whispered into Steve's ear, "Trust me, ignore them and they'll stop." 

"Hey old man, I could take your girlfriend off your hands." One of the other guys shouted out and Tay glared at him. 

"I'll be back in one second." She knew the light was about to turn green and she jumped up and with her super speed, she quickly undressed them out of their shirts and tied their shirts around their mouths. The light turned green and she stopped. 

She hopped back onto the back of Steve's motorcycle and he looked over and grinned at her masterpiece. He started driving and left the frat guys behind them. She laughed and he felt the sound wash over him and he laughed with her too. She looked behind her and saw them looking around in confusion. They leaned into another turn and Tay watched as they came to an abandoned military ground.

Steve cut the engine and she hopped off. She looked around at the sign and it said Camp Lehigh. "What is this place?" 

"It's where I was made." Steve looked around and held her hand. 

"It seems so empty here. It's hard to imagine a skinnier, shorter version of you running around here." She looked at the bunkers and the scattered tent material. Tay tucked her hands into her jeans back pockets and huddled closer to Steve, just a bit cold in the winter breeze. He wrapped his arms around her and rubbed her back comfortingly. She wanted to ask what he wanted to talk about, but she knew that he would bring it up when he was ready. 

Tay adjusted her shirt and wrapped it closer around her. "Tay I brought you here to talk about us." 

"Us?" She wasn't expecting that. Tay looked up at him and knit her brows together. He thought she looked so cute like that. 

"Yea. I wanted to ask..." He hesitated and she raised an eyebrow. 

"Steve, I'm not in your head. You're going to have to say it." She leaned her head against his broad chest and looked up at him through her long lashes. "I'm not going to run away screaming." 

"That's comforting." He barked a laugh and she grinned. He relaxed a bit and looked down at her. 

"I wanted to ask if you were still seeing Mickey's dad. I'd be fine if you were but-" 

"I'm going to stop you right there." She said with a serious look and she stopped in front of him and gave him a serious look. "Let me explain this to you Steve Rogers." 

She took his hand in hers and started walking around as she started her woeful tale.

**Author's Note:**

> Credit due to respective networks- CW (Originals) and Marvel.  
> DO NOT COPY MY STORY PLEASE.  
> seriously, don't.  
> Teles Athans is mine and of my own creation as are the other minor characters, like her daughter and rest of her family.  
> She is a siren-vampire hybrid and if that's confusing just imagine an amazingly badass woman with enhanced abilities of your own creation.  
> Also, Teles=Tay. They're the same person, just in case that's also confusing.


End file.
